free! over 8 hours of video training + custom brushes!

stranger
things art
Kyle Lambert on
how he illustrated
an iconic poster
learn how to
paint & draw
Get to grips with key
traditional art skills

create futuristic

Discover how Ilya Kuvshinov paints a sci-fi heroine

PLUS! Ross Tran shares the secrets to his online success

unbeatable Genzoman Dreddful

creature tips strikes again! anniversary
Design cute and characterful The master manga artist 2000 AD’s best artists
animals every single time goes wild in Photoshop celebrate 2,000 editions
 Editor’s letter

Welcome to… EDITOR’s ChOICE Three things that I

rather liked this issue…

32

Hello there. Long time

no speak! After a baby-
shaped hiatus, I’m back at
the helm of ImagineFX.
Woohoo! I honestly don’t
So many questions…
think I could have picked A stalwart of ImagineFX, this issue’s Q&A has a brilliant
a better time to return. roster of answers to help you freshen up your art skills.
The art community has never seemed 40
more alive, diverse and packed to the
rafters with talent.
I was lucky enough to attend the
Industry Workshops event in London last
month – you can see my report on the
show on page 27. While there, I managed
to chat with an incredible array of artistic
talent from games, film and beyond. All of An artist with a following
them had kind words to say about what we How talent, enthusiasm and an eye for online
promotion rocketed Ross Tran into the limelight.
do here at ImagineFX and many also want
to help teach you a thing or two about 66
painting. I’m forever grateful for this.
But for now, sit back and take in the
inspiration that’s stuffed on every page
and as ever, let me know your thoughts.

Claire Howlett, Editor Turn it up to Eleven

claire@imaginefx.com Getting the official Stranger Things artist to tell us how
he created the poster got me fangirling…

Contact ImagineFX Subscribe

mail@imaginefx.com and save!
Save 47 per cent and
twitter.com/imaginefx get 20 per cent off
facebook.com/imaginefx an Adobe Creative
Photography plan.
imaginefx.creativebloq.com Turn to page 30 now

November 2016 3
 Save up to 47 per cent, and get money off Adobe products
when you subscribe to ImagineFX! See page 30

Contents
Your art
8 Reader FXPosé
Including salesman spiders,
40 Ross Tran interview

Gentlebugs, Jabberwocks,
dwarfs, Pokémon and more.

News and events

18 Dredded art
Weekly comic 2000 AD
is publishing its milestone
2,000th edition.

24 Artist in residence
Cory Godbey’s studio houses
his collection of knick-knacks,
Tolkien books and terrariums.

Your questions
32 Artist Q&A See page 8 for the best new art
Advice from pros on artist’s
block, perspective tools, photo
textures, emotions, still life, 32
underwater light and more.

Features
40 Interview: Ross Tran
How the American emerged “The last thing you want to be is
from a dark place to become a robot. Show the world who you
an in-demand artist and
YouTube sensation. are and what you want to do.”
YouTube hotshot Ross Tran on getting hired
Q&A: emotions
48 Studio profile
From Marvel characters to
Microsoft games, Sequence 48 35 37
stretches its artists’ horizons.

52 Sketchbook
Eels, crabs and armadillos on
a mission… Bobby Rebholz is
a little obsessed with creatures.

Reviews
94 Software The Sequence Group Q&A: lighting Q&A: artist’s block
97 Training
98 Books
52 18 24
Regulars
3 Editor’s letter
6 Resources
28 Letters
30 Subscriptions:
US, UK & worldwide Sketchbook:
46 Back issues Bobby Rebholz Comic milestone Artist in residence
85 Next month

4 November 2016
 Issue 140 November 2016
DownloaD resources Turn over the page for
this issue’s art assets

Workshops 58
Advice and techniques
from pro artists…
58 Paint a manga
figure on the go
Ilya Kuvshinov develops
a character illustration.
64 Perspective in
Clip Studio Paint
Draw environments with
Tan Hui Tian’s advice.
66 Depict retro
poster art
Read Kyle Lambert’s advice
on developing composition.
70 Expand on the
cyberpunk genre
Valentina Remenar creates a
familiar but original figure.
76 Collaborate
on promo art
A gamer gets a fantasy spin
in Esben and Felix’s joint art.
80 Characterful
creature art
Follow Noukah’s tips for
giving animals a personality.
86 Create manga
with a twist
Yee-haw! Genzoman Paint manga cover art
paints Wild West manga.

106 112

Inspiration and advice from

the best traditional artists
102 FXPosé Traditional
106 Paint a wood nymph Get painting outside
Iris Compiet is inspired by nature.
112 First steps with plein air
Check out Peter Chan’s outdoors kit.
114
114 First Impressions
Steve Prescott talks Aliens.

102

FXPosé Traditional Half-human half-tree Steve Prescott

November 2016 5
 Resources
Resources
Getting hold of all of this issue’s videos, artwork and
brushes is quick and easy. Just visit our dedicated
web page at http://ifxm.ag/manga140scifi
workshop videos
Paint manga
on the go
Ilya Kuvshinov sets aside his normal
process and develops a character
illustration as it’s being painted.
Get your
resources
You’re three steps away from
this issue’s resource files…
1 Go to the website
Type this into your browser’s
address bar (not the search bar):
http://ifxm.ag/manga140scifi
2 Find the files you want
Search through the list of
resources to watch or download.
3 Download what you need
You can download all of the
files at once, or individually.
EDitorial
ClairE HowlEtt ediTor
claire.howlett@futurenet.com
DaniEl VinCEnt ArT ediTor
daniel.vincent@futurenet.com
CliFF HopE oPerATioNS ediTor
clifford.hope@futurenet.com
CrEatiVE bloq
DominiC CartEr staff writer
Dan oliVEr global editor-in-chief
CraiG StEwart managing editor
kErriE HuGHES content manager
ContributionS
Felix Bauer-Schlichtegroll, Chaanah Carr, Peter Chan,
iris Compiet, david Cousens, Mélanie delon, Gary
evans, Andrea Fermerstrand, Sara Forlenza,
Genzoman, damian Hall, Nick Harris, richard Hill,
richard Hood, ilya Kuvshinov, Kyle Lambert, Lorena
Lammer, Tom May, david Paget, esben Lash
rasmussen, Valentina remenar, Alex Summersby,
Tan Hui Tian, Garrick Webster
pHotoGrapHy Future photography studio
6 November 2016
aDVErtiSinG
ClarE DoVE commercial sales director,
clare.dove@futurenet.com
+44 (0) 1225 68 7226
SaSHa mCGrEGor senior advertising
manager, sasha.mcgregor@futurenet.com
+44 (0) 1225 687675
CHriS mitCHEll account executive
chris.mitchell@futurenet.com
+44 (0) 1225 687832
matt DownS director of agency sales
matt.downs@futurenet.com
+44 (0) 20 7042 4166
ClarE Jonik head of strategic partnerships
clare.jonik@futurenet.com
+44 (0) 20 7042 4108
markEtinG
SaSCHa kimmEl marketing director
print & proDuCtion
ViViEnnE CalVErt production controller
mark ConStanCE head of production UK & US
nola CokEly ad production manager
natHan DrEwEtt ad production co-ordinator
liCEnSinG
matt ElliS licensing & syndication manager
FuturE publiSHinG limitED
roDnEy DiVE group art director
mattHEw piErCE editorial director: games,
photography, creative & design
JoE mCEVoy managing director, magazines
ZillaH bynG-tHornE chief executive
oVE
8 HourrS
of video tutori
from pro artisals
to watch andts
learn from!
nExt iSSuE on SalE
FriDay 7 oCtobEr 2016
imagineFX is the registered trademark of
Future Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.
ContaCt uS
pHonE +44 (0) 1225 442244
Email mail@imaginefx.com
art SubmiSSionS fxpose@imaginefx.com
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poSt imagineFX, Future Publishing Ltd, Quay
House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA, UK © 2016 Future Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine
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amaZon kinDlE http://ifxm.ag/kindle-ifx
 Issue 140 November 2016

ExclusivE vidEo tuition!

Watch our videos to gain a unique insight into how our artists create their stunning art

valentina Remenar Genzoman

Learn how to concentrate on familiar traits but also add originality when concepting Understand how giving the background
an illustration of a new character that helps expand on the cyberpunk genre. more emphasis can enliven a painting.
wips, brushes and final image plus wips, brushes and final image

q&A videos

sara Forlenza sara Forlenza

Invest time in studying faces, postures and mannerisms – and use a mirror to study Set some time aside for still life and learn
your own – in order to be able to paint convincing facial emotions in your art. more realistic rendering techniques.
plus wips and final image plus wips and final image

trAining

nick Harris James Gurney

Tinker with Painter’s Spring Particle settings to get watercolour effects – potentially See how head maquettes help bring extinct
a great tactic to help leapfrog artist’s block. Pick colours, make random marks and more… mammals back to life, in The Mammal
plus wips and final image That Ate Dinosaurs: Behind The Art.
and all tHis! Detailed workshops with advice from the best fantasy artists around the world, including Iris Compiet,
Peter Chan, Mélanie Delon, Lorena Lammer, David Paget, Esben Lash Rasmussen, Felix Bauer-Schlichtegroll and Tan Hui Tian.

47 CUstoM BrUshes, inClUding…

BRusH ElliPtical PastEl – oil laRGE 4 dRawinG BRusH
This is Ilya Kuvshinov’s main brush. Valentina Remenar used this brush Esben Lash Rasmussen uses this
“I use it everywhere!” he says. for sketching background smoke. soft brush 95 per cent of the time.

November 2016 7
the place to share your DIGItal art

Ian Olympia
LOcatIOn: Philippines
1
Web: http://ifxm.ag/wickedalucard
emaIL: coffeeflavoredpen@gmail.com
meDIa: Manga Studio 4 EX, PaintTool
SAI, Photoshop

“I’ve been working as

an illustrator for 13 years
now,” explains Ian, who
goes by the art name
wickedalucard. “Most of
the client illustrations I’ve worked on for
the past years are for games and manga
titles, and recently I’ve started working
freelance in the hope of creating more
personal projects.”
Ian’s dynamic work is heavily
influenced by manga, anime, games
and fashion, and he gravitates towards
creating movement in his layouts. “I’m
also fond of using pastel to saturate
colours, and applying texture to my
drawings,” he explains.
When not painting up a storm,
Ian says he likes playing the guitar,
collecting art books and playing with
his six adorable cats.

1 DeLIcIOus Hunger “This illustration

is for the cover of a personal art book,
which I released last Comic Fiesta 2015.
I wanted it to have a sketchy watercolour
feel, with complex details, yet organised
in a way that’s still pleasing to look at.”

2 tHe Decay “This piece was

created as a guest illustration for
the Motherland Chronicles project by
zemotion and tobiee. It’s a very personal
piece. I used heavy inking techniques to
emphasise the dark elements and the
overall illustration layout.”

8 November 2016 Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com

 2

Chester Ocampo, art director at Altitude

Games, likes Ian’s painting approach…
“Ian’s use of delicate ornamentation,
combined with low key colours and
bold reds, make for exquisitely
romantic-looking images.”

Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com November 2016 9

 candice broersma
LOcatIOn: US
1
Web: www.candicebroersma.com
emaIL: candicebroersma@gmail.com
meDIa: Photoshop

Candice grew up in the

quaint city of Yucaipa,
California. As an
undergraduate at the
University of Redlands, she
pursued her love of both music and art
by “painting by day and saving the
world performing clarinet by night!” she
jests. Candice’s experience in the two
fields garnered her first paid work: her
earliest commissions were from
colleagues and involved translating
musical motifs and narratives into a
visual format for their recital posters.
Eager to delve further into the
commercial arts, Candice decided to
pursue illustration and consequently
enrolled in the Illustration Masters
program at the Savannah College of Art
and Design. Since graduating, Candice
has returned to California to begin her
career as a freelance illustrator and
educator. Her subjects are often unusual
characters, odd arthropods, and classic
mythologies with a twist.

1 mOnOcLe mantIs “This chap is the

most dapper ‘Gentlebug’. The
structure of his face is based on that of
a praying mantis, with his sleeves
mimicking its long front legs. I enjoyed
the piece so much that I decided to add
to his company. The series satisfies my
enthusiasm for Victorian fashion and
my inner entomologist.”

2 beneatH tHe tumtum tree “The

Jabberwock has traditionally been
depicted as a humorous buck-toothed
dragon. Wanting to re-envision the
creature while staying true to Lewis
Carroll’s description, I focused on its
‘jaws that bite’ and ‘claws that catch’. ”

3 maDam mOtH “This figure

encapsulates the elegant fluffiness
of her insect counterpart. I looked at
Victorian fashion plates of touring hats
to note the materials and arrangement
of elements. Ostrich feathers
complement her feathery antennae
while clusters of silk ribbon and white
elements make reference to the silk
produced by Bombyx mori.”

4 PInstrIPe sPIDer “I imagine

Pinstripe Spider as a clever
salesman with an extensive ‘web’ of
contacts. He sports a moustache
inspired by a jumping spider’s prickly
pedipalps and mutton chops to match.
With Pinstripe and my other profile-view
portraits, I sculpted models to help
explore the perfect balance of human
and bug anatomy.”

10 November 2016 Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com

2

3 4
IMaGINeFX crIt
“If there’s one thing
guaranteed to put a
smile on my face, it’s
a praying mantis dressed
as a Victorian gentleman,
and exhibiting the
mannerisms of the era.
Arthropods in costume –
that’s an internet meme
right there.”
Claire Howlett,
Editor

Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com November 2016 11

 Elvin Neal B. 1
Bersamira
LocatioN: Philippines
WEB: fb.com/ArtOfDexter
EmaiL: dexterbersamira@gmail.com
mEDia: Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint

“My only formal art training

was a six-month short
course in 2D animation,”
says Elvin, also known as
Dexter, “but after finishing
my studies I realised I don’t have the
perseverance for animation,” so
instead he wisely put more effort into
his illustration and manga skills. He
now freelances as a 2D game artist and
illustrator, for both local and overseas
clients. “I’m also a contributing artist
for The Philippine Daily Inquirer (2BU
Lifestyle section) and resident illustrator
for UnimeTV,” he explains, making us
wonder if he has any spare time!
While loving manga, he also admires
the works of a variety of artists such as
Noah Bradley, John Avon and Feng Zhu.
© Alienworks

IMAGINEFX CRIT
“Elvin’s work has
all the bright
cheerfulness of
the classic manga style
combined with a richness
of detail that really draws
the viewer’s eye into his
paintings and makes
them come alive.”
Cliff Hope,
Operations Editor

1 HigHWay BLossoms My guest art

for the visual novel game Highway
Blossoms (Steam Game) by Alienworks.
In this illustration, I tried to emphasise
the game’s main characters, Amber
and Marina, by using the background
to give more focus.”

2 mEga cHarizarD! “This is my

fan art of Mega Charizard from
Pokémon. In this illustration I tried to
make Charizard encapsulated by the
pokeball yet powerful at the same time.”

3 matsuri “An artwork

commissioned by ASPAC-DAN
ad agency. I was asked to create an
© Pokémon / Nintendo

illustration that evokes the Japanese

culture, as their company will be under
the new management of Dentsu Aegis
Network. Therefore I decided to create
this so as to celebrate Japanese Matsuri
by featuring an elegant Yukata.”

12 November 2016
 3
© ASPAC-DAN

Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com November 2016 13

 Leanne Huynh
LocatioN: US
1
WEB: www.faedri.com
EmaiL: leanne.arte@gmail.com
mEDia: Photoshop

It sounds like Southern

California artist Leanne has
a pretty good existence: “I
spend my slap-happy days
painting all the things,
trying not to kill my plants (only three so
far!), attending a bunch of conventions
and meeting amazing people!”
She grew up in the colourful world of
8-bit video games and 1980s cartoons
and spent her childhood, as she
describes it, “drawing, colouring,
playing with Lego and trying to beat
my older brothers in video games.”
An arts graduate from the University
of California, Irvine, Leanne has notched
up time as a painter for hire for Blizzard
Entertainment, Riot Games and Carbine
Studios/NCSoft.

2 3

1 rosaLiNDE “With this piece, I

applied a gradient early in the
process of painting her and really
appreciate the harmonising colours
from it. With her ivy shawl and crown
of flowers, I can confidently say that
Rosalinde is a big fan of nature.”

2 Em “In Vietnamese, ‘Em’ can be

translated to mean ‘little sibling’,
which is what I named this young girl.
Em is wearing a traditional Vietnamese
hat and dress normally reserved for a
formal event. I never got to wear this
as a kid, but always thought the saucer
hat was interesting.”

3 Q “I’ve recently starting attending

comic conventions and selling my
art there. This piece, named Q, is
inspired by my boothmate, Kieu
(pronounced ‘Q’). She sells super-cute
artwork with cats and fruits on them,
which prompted me to paint her with
a cat and an apple on her head.”

14 November 2016 Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com

 Kennedy 1
cooke-garza
LocatioN: US
WEB: www.kcgarza.com
EmaiL: kcookegarza@gmail.com
mEDia: Photoshop

Kennedy has long been

interested in art. “I first
encountered digital
painting in middle school,
and it’s been my medium
of choice ever since,” she says.
“From an early age I knew I wanted to
work in video games, and in high school
I started narrowing my focus towards
concept art.”
She graduated from the Savannah
College of Art and Design and went on
to work in the games industry. She now
freelances and works on her webcomic,
titled Superbitch.

2
1 moNstEr, sLayEr “My entry for the
Games Workshop’s Game Challenge.
This piece has likely gone through the
most amount of change from start to
finish of all my full illustrations, from the
pose of the slayer to the colour scheme,
to the monster’s appearance.”

2 cHaNtico “This one is part of a

personal series I was doing on Aztec
and Mayan mythology. Chantico is the
goddess of fire, the family hearth and
volcanoes. [The painting] was initially
much simpler, with details like the face
paint and foreground flames added as
last-minute decisions.”

3 taBoo “This is another personal

piece. Something of a study on the
style of Frank Frazetta.”

Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com November 2016 15

 1

IMAGINEFX CRIT
“Like all the best
concept art, Joseph’s
paintings seem to
strike a perfect balance
between detail and
suggestion – but then,
when you look closer, you
discover even more and
learn more about the
subject of each work.”
Daniel Vincent,
Art Editor

16 November 2016 Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com

 Joseph diaz
locaTion: Spain
Web: http://ifxm.ag/j-diaz
email: joseph@j21studio.com
media: Photoshop, Cinema 4D, ZBrush

A freelance concept artist

based in Barcelona, Spain,
Joseph has worked on
productions such as
Warcraft, Game Of
Thrones, Biutiful, Europa Report, The
Impossible and A Monster Calls. “Living
in Barcelona, I feel the influence of the
great masters Gaudi and Dalí,” he says,
revealing that he wanted to become an
artist ever since he watched Blade
Runner when he was five years old.
“I am also obsessed with guitars,
the number 21, the planet Jupiter and
the exact mathematical representation
of pi,” he reveals.

1 Worm sands “I remember

watching Dune when I was a child.
One of the things that remained in
my subconscious was the sandworm
creature. Years later I read the Frank
Herbert novel and it still remains one
of my favourite sci-fi books. This is my
interpretation of sandworms.”

2 Tribal God of fire “I wanted

to create a horned character with
superhuman abilities and deep esoteric
knowledge. I really love symbology and
occultism in paintings, because in my
opinion it creates a deep layer of
storytelling within the image.”

3 Time-space Traveller “I love

to paint sci-fi scenes. This one shows
a time-space traveller just before his
journey. I like to find unusual shapes
when I design spaceships, but in my
mind even this awkward design has a
lot of functionality and makes sense.”

3
Submit your
art to fxpoSé
Send up to five pieces of your
work, along with their titles, an
explanation of your techniques,
a photo of yourself and contact
details. Images should be sent as
300dpi JPEG files.

email: fxpose@imaginefx.com
(maximum 1MB per image)

post: (CD or DVD):

FXPosé
ImagineFX
Quay House
The Ambury
Bath, BA1 1UA, UK

All artwork is submitted on

the basis of a non-exclusive
worldwide licence to publish, both
in print and electronically.

Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com November 2016 17

 Artist news, softwAre events

At the core of the DigitAl Art community

2000 AD hits a Tharg the Mighty has sent a call across the
galaxy to all his finest script and art robots
and – by Gronk! – it has been answered.

mighty milestone
Yes, Prog 2000, of the outstanding British
comic magazine 2000 AD, will land in late
September, featuring artwork by some
of its greatest ever contributors – Mick
McMahon, Kevin O’Neill, Dave Gibbons,
Carlos Ezquerra and many more.
You’ll be able to choose from three
Dredded birthday Nearly alternate covers. Tharg – the mag’s alien
40 years since its launch, weekly editor – features on the cover by Cliff
comic 2000 AD is publishing its Robinson, and Glenn Fabry has drawn
an astounding wraparound illustration
milestone 2,000th edition. taking in all the major 2000 AD characters,
Garrick Webster reports which will be available only in comic shops.

Chris Burhnam’s
Judge Dredd will be
one of the three special
covers for Prog 2000.

Mick McMahon’s prog 168 Dredd cover

(above) inspired Chris Burnham’s

Judge Dredd® Is A Registered Trademark, © Rebellion A/S. All Rights Reserved

contemporary effort (right).

18 November 2016
 from the a studio for why, that's a
ground up hobbits? capital idea!
Get the lowdown on We explore fantasy ImagineFX heads over
the Foundation Art artist Cory Godbey’s to London's Industry
Group, who go back spacious underground Workshops, the UK's
to basics to focus on studio, and learn that premier art industry
the often-overlooked his sofa's the perfect gathering, to soak up all
but always-important place to talk all things the inspiring teaching
fundamental art skills. Tolkien with him. and to meet new artists.
Page 23 Page 24 Page 27

Chris Burnham has drawn an iconic image

The Diamond Exclusive
of Judge Dredd for the third cover. wraparound cover for Prog
It’s a brilliant reversal having American 2000 by Glenn Fabry.

artist Chris draw a cover. Founded

in 1977 with a sci-fi remit, 2000 AD has
developed many young British artists who
have later been headhunted
by US publishers. “The
Burnhams left England almost
400 years ago,” laughs Chris.
“Returning in the pages of

All characters™ Rebellion A/S, © Rebellion A/S, All rights reserved

the galaxy’s greatest comic is an absolute
dream come true!”
Chris’s image of 2000 AD mainstay
Judge Dredd is in homage to Mick
McMahon’s cover for Prog 168, published
way back in 1980, when the comic cost
just 12p. “Mick’s exaggerated style gives him
all sorts of anatomical leeway – if you look
at his original cover, Dredd’s hips are like
four feet wide and his proportions are
downright skeletal, but the impact is just
fantastic,” says Chris.
Dave Gibbons, who rocketed to
worldwide glory with The Watchmen, was
part of the team that created
the first edition of 2000 AD.
He’s returned for Prog 2000
Dredd’s hips are 4ft wide, across generations of comic artists. “With
2000 AD there was a real kind of clubhouse
with a page featuring Tharg
surrounded by some of the
his proportions skeletal, but feel,” he says. “We were friends with other
people who worked on the comics, and
title’s Future War characters – Rogue the impact is just fantastic I think nowadays the communication
Trooper, The VCs, Fiends of the Eastern between comic artists is so great that you
Front and Bad Company. feel you're part of a movement rather than
For Dave, one of 2000 AD’s key strengths just an individual.”
has been the team spirit it's maintained
comedy influence
Originally influenced by American comics,
2000 AD shook up the British newsstand
when it was launched. It pushed the
boundaries with its wild sci-fi stories and a
sense of humour that’s been likened to
Monty Python and The Young Ones. Each
week it still contains five or six stories,
continuing the tales of characters like Judge
Dredd and Sláine, but including one-off
Dave Gibbons artwork
Future Shock stories for added spice.
for Alan Moore’s Though he drew the original Rogue
Chronocops one-off
story is one he’ll
Trooper character, Dave’s favourite 2000 AD
never forget. work is a one-off story he did with Alan

A RoGue TRoopeR’s GAlleRy

The good, the bad and the ugly: meet the heroes of 2000 AD

Judge Dredd Rogue Trooper

first appeared: 1977 first appeared: 1981
In post-apocalyptic Mega-City A genetically engineered
One, they don’t have time for super soldier, Rogue is only
police, courts, lawyers and all happy in the middle of a
that. Despite the odd moral futuristic war, being splashed
dilemma, Judge Dredd by strong acid under a
maintains law and order as chemical cloud while blasting
Simon Bisley’s fully painted, full-colour images
judge, jury and executioner. his enemies with bullets.
of Sláine defined the 1990s in 2000 AD.
Rogue Trooper® is a registered trademark, © Rebellion A/S. All rights reserved

November 2016 19
 ImagineNation News
2000 AD® Is A Registered Trademark. © Rebellion A/S
Moore before their Watchmen days. “It
was called Chronocops, and was
a time travel cops story. That remains one
of my favourites and, out of all the stuff that
I did for 2000 AD, that’s actually the only
one I still have the original artwork for –
that’s how much I enjoyed and prized it.”
Future Shock pages give new artists a
crack at working on 2000 AD. For Prog
2000, Rufus Dayglo is drawing a new story
called Counterfeit Girl, written
by Peter Milligan, but his
earliest contribution to 2000
AD was a Future Shock.
“These short, one-off stories
strontium Dog
first appeared: 1978
Johnny Alpha is a mutant and a
bounty hunter, part of a community
shunned by the ‘norms’ in a
militaristic and hypocritical
future Britain. He’s often
joined by his companion
Wulf Sternhammer.
20 November 2016
Rufus Dayglo’s cover
for the Judge Dredd
Magazine issue 246.
Beautifully simple Rogue Trooper line art
from 1987 by Steve Dillon.
2000 AD stalwarts Bad
Company, as drawn by
Rufus Dayglo.
are quite challenging," Rufus says. "You have
to tell a whole story in five or six pages. It’s a
Milestone mags: Prog
500 with a nine-story test for both writer and artist, and a great
melange and the
tool to learn the craft of storytelling. Mine
30th anniversary
issue, Prog 1526. was about a knight who meets his older self
as both a warning and a prophecy.”
extreme future
With science fiction its main focus, 2000 AD
artists have imagined some extreme
versions of the future and just run with it.
Characters and storylines go off in crazy
directions, and the unpredictability is part of
the short, one-off stories are a great
test for writer and artist, and a great tool
to learn the craft of storytelling
Judge Anderson
first appeared: 1980
Developed as a female support
character for Judge Dredd,
Anderson eventually got her
own series. She’s a Psi-Judge
with telepathic powers, and
her look, by artist Brian Bolland,
was based on Debbie Harry.
Scottish artist Jock created this stunning Judge
Dredd cover for Prog 1304.
the fun. Writers and artists have enjoyed
plenty of freedom on 2000 AD. As a result,
satire, social commentary and bizarre
humour have flowed through its storylines.
Yet as zany – and violent – as some of it
has been, it’s maintained a certain bedrock
style. Richard Elson has worked for 2000 AD
since the late ’80s and in Prog 2000 he’s
drawing a Rogue Trooper story written by
Gordon Rennie. With it, he’s aiming to evoke
the early Rogue Trooper and give it a classic
2000 AD feel that dates back to the late
1970s and early ’80s.
ABC Warriors
first appeared: 1979
This troop of robotic warriors
is led by Hammerstein, who
came from the Ro-Busters
strip. They’re designed to
withstand atomic weapons,
and missions have included
the taming of Mars.
 Artist news, software & events
Cliff Robinson devoted his Prog 2000
alternate cover to Tharg The Mighty,
long-serving alien editor Of 2000 AD.

“Kevin O’Neill, Mick McMahon, Carlos

Ezquerra – they’re really great comic artists,
and there’s a certain sort of quirkiness,
oddness, non-mainstream look to their art,”
says Richard. “You’ve got to take your hat
off to these guys because
even your best artists today
– Henry Flint and guys like
that – are still looking back
to their work. There’s such
a weight of great art at the beginning, the
first decade or so of the title, that anybody
who works on it is always going to look
back to that era.”
As its title suggests, the original launch
team didn’t think 2000 AD would last until
the year 2000, let alone reach its 2,000th
issue. The comic-reading audience has
shrunk, but 2000 AD has maintained a It’s all knees, elbows and claws with Kevin
loyal readership and as that readership has O’Neill’s rendition of Nemesis seen here.
matured, so has the title and its stories. The
continued influx of new writers and artists
points to a bright future.
“2000 AD is a national treasure,” says
Dave Gibbons. “It encapsulates a certain
strand of what it means to be British that Ferocious action is a hallmark
I think is worthy of being preserved, if not by of Richard Elson, as proven in
this cover for Prog 1331.
the nation then certainly for the nation.”

sláine Nikolai Dante

first appeared: 1983 first appeared: 1997
Inspired by Celtic mythology, In the 27th century, Nikolai
Sláine has an axe called Dante is the illegitimate son
Brainbiter and the power of a Romanov and causes
to ‘warp spasm’. In other outrage in future Imperial
words, he enters a body- Russia with his daring feats
contorting state of frenzy of piracy, swordsmanship,
when he’s in battle. killing and carnage.

November 2016 21

Enrolled students
receive a total of seven
sessions a month.
Digital art school
firm foundation
Back to basics Online platform Foundation Group
focuses on often-overlooked fundamental art skills
“Let’s face it. Foundation
has never been the most
appealing subject to
students, especially those
who didn’t receive a formal
education in art,” says Matthew Zikry, one
of the founders of the digital education
service Foundation Group. “Subjects such
as perspective, basic drawing and design
theory cannot compete with tutorials
floating around on speed-painting and
photobashing when it comes to appeal.”
Feeling that students were being cheated
out of crucial parts of their education,
Matthew, John Park and Daniel Jin Park set
up just over a year ago on Patreon. “The
curriculum [aims at] artists looking to enter
the entertainment industry, but can be
widely applied to artists of all fields,” he says.
Students and artists are free to join just
tutorial sessions alone, or pledge, as part of
Artist news, software & events
the feedback group, to submit monthly
assignments for individual critique from
instructors. “We find this aspect very
important – these professionals can advise Students can submit their work to get feedback from industry pros.
students on real-world work situations and
help guide their skill set towards those used
in the industry today,” Matthew explains.
“The curriculum is also unique in that it
allows students to select and cater their
education based on their needs.”
With hundreds of students already signed
up, Matthew suggests that Foundation
Group plans to develop the curriculum and
expand the number of instructors. “There
are a few potential workshop instructors
who can offer input based on their
experiences in animation, film, games, as
well as theme park design,” he hints.
Explore Foundation Group’s curriculum
and become a patron by visiting their site:
www.patreon.com/foundation. Foundation Group enables each student to select and build their own path.
November 2016 23
 ImagineNation News
In another life, I might have been a terrarium maker. I love these little worlds, made from moss and stones and
bits of branches contained by glass. One time a small spider got into a terrarium and died, but not before it
had spun tiny webs over the dead moss. It was the spookiest terrarium ever. Mordor’s own terrarium.

Any proper hermit

knows a fireplace is
essential. You can lurk
around the woods
gathering firewood,
poke at the embers
when you’re in a foul
mood, and even cook
over it if you’re trying to
avoid human contact.
I also use the fireplace
to burn bad drawings
when I gather work for
my annual fire sale,
much to the chagrin of
some of my fans.

Access to some quiet

green space is essential
for my sanity and
creativity. I’ll meander
around my garden,
coffee mug in hand,
dictating emails while I
check the growth on
recent plantings. The
treehouse offers more
seclusion, perfect
for when I’m deep
into planning for a
future project.

If you’re ever visiting my studio in person and I invite

Cory Godbey
you to sit by the fire to discuss Tolkien mythology,
make a beeline to claim the chair. The old settee is
terrifically uncomfortable.

Smart space We explore the fantasy artist’s underground studio and

his collections of gaming knick-knacks, Tolkien books and terrariums
Welcome to my studio. My
workspace is located in the
walkout basement below
my house. Since it’s mostly
underground, the studio
stays cool during the summer and I keep a
fire going during the winter. I love working
from home, because I’m not-so-secretly a
hermit, and prefer the company of my wife
and son, along with our gang of cats.
Beyond the door is my outdoor studio:
gardens, woods and a treehouse. Before
I get to work each morning, I spend a little
time outside, walking the paths through the
woods, checking on my bird feeders and
watering the plants. Later in the day, you
might find me in the treehouse, answering
emails or taking client calls.
In the main room I have my workstations:
a drafting table under the window with
ample natural light, and a section of desks
for digital work and administrative tasks, a
large scanner, and several flat files. Whether
for clients and personal projects, my work is
typically a mix of traditional and digital, so
it’s helpful to have these workstations
separated but close at hand.
The fireplace and sitting area is where
you’ll find some sketchbooks and art
reference scattered about, and usually a cat
or two lying on top of whatever I’m trying to
work on. The wall of built-in bookshelves is
perfect for showcasing my favourite books
and varied collections. Off the main area, a
smaller room is used for assembling and
shipping prints. My convention materials live

24 November 2016
 Artist news, software & events
This handmade leather mask was made by artisans Shane and Leah Odom. The crown jewel of my mantle is an original oil painting by Annie Stegg Gerard. I’m in love
It watches over my scanner and sometimes I put it on just to make life more with her masterful depiction of a unicorn foal, and my delight in the subject matter is
interesting for the studio cats. (No, I don’t.) matched only by my desire to steal all her painting secrets.

The wall of built-in bookshelves serves to showcase my collection of art books,

favourite novels and various knick-knacks. My favourite shelf houses a series of
leather-bound Tolkien books. My wife is an excellent decorator and sometimes
I swipe items she has styled on our other bookcases. So if something looks good
here it’s probably thanks to her.

This map cabinet is very old, made in the 1800s. Its

new function is storing drawings, paintings and
paper. What I love most about this piece is that it
has a twin, which lives with my good friend and
Mouse Guard creator, David Petersen. On top of the
cabinet I have little shrine to Swedish fairy tale artist
John Bauer, who’s been one of the greatest
influences on my work.

I was honoured to win the Spectrum Gold Award

for my piece, The Fish Master. It will forever be one
of my most prized possessions.

in a storage closet, and the bathroom is

handy for rinsing out brushes.
Having the proper set-up for an artist is
just like choosing any other tool. You have to
find what works best for you and make it
your own. Feeling at home in my studio
helps me to create better and work smarter.
Having the work of talented artists grace my walls is a
Cory creates fanciful illustrations for books and true delight. I prefer to collect originals, but have
been known to pick up a print from time to time. I’m
films. His award-winning work has been currently displaying pieces by Omar Rayyan, Wylie
featured in the likes of Spectrum: The Best in Off the main studio is a small side room and it’s one of my favourite spaces in the Beckert, Tran Nguyen, Gary Lippincott, David
house: my game room. I’ve been a lifelong collector and enjoy having the space Petersen, Niroot Puttapipat, Annie Stegg Gerard,
Contemporary Fantastic Art and The Society of to display the various treasures I’ve amassed. At the end of a long workday, I Charles Vess and more. I’m always getting something
Illustrators. See his art at www.corygodbey.com. might unwind by playing a little classic Nintendo. framed, so the collection rotates as needed.

November 2016 25
 Artist news, software & events

Industry Workshops 2016

Art in action ImagineFX took a trip to the UK’s premier event for One of Almu Redondo’s
sketches done at IW_16.
networking with professional artists, right in the heart of London
It’s 9.30am on a humid, but drearily grey
weekend morning in London. Most of the
grubby little streets around Brick Lane are
empty and quiet, its residents and tourists
still yet to make a move for the outdoors.
But here at The Old Truman Brewery
where Industry Workshops (IW_16) is
being held, there’s a quiet hubbub of
excitement among the hundreds of people
who are waiting for the day to unfold.
Many are here for the day’s opening
lecture, Thea Turner’s character design
masterclass, which is just one
of over 150 hours of art
lectures and demos featured
at the three-day event. Thea, a
freelance concept artist for
film and games, says, “For me, the most
fulfilling part is getting to share insights that
can make the journey easier for aspiring
Artist Belinda Leung chats to Jort van
artists. It’s something I wish I could do for my Welbergen while demoing her skills.
younger self if I could time travel!”
The list of attending artists from film “I use watercolour in the One attendee, illustrator and concept something that can’t be timetabled: the
same way you use
and video game companies is certainly computers,” film artist Almu Redondo, explains why she chance to hang out with other artists, both
impressive, including Ash Thorp, Darrell costume artist Darrell stumped up the ticket price: “It’s a three-day pro and hobbyist, in a relaxed setting. Our
Warner explained at his
Warner, Suzanne Helmigh and Aaron Beck. Saturday afternoon rollercoaster of awesomeness. community is a lucky one. It’s a friendly and
There’s also an always-packed corridor of lecture. “Like you, I just Mind-blowing talks, brain- supportive rabble of people. If you haven’t
keep adding layers.”
portfolio reviews and recruitment drives melting conversations with done so yet, we recommend getting to an
from the likes of Framestore, Creative lecturers and attendees, and event like this to connect with your peers.
Assembly and Atomhawk. In essence, if fantastic opportunities.” For more info on this year’s event, and to
you’re an art professional or an aspiring The lectures are insightful and the setting keep an eye on what might be in store next
one, then you should be here. inspiring, but the biggest pull to this event is year, visit www.industryworkshops.co.uk.

November 2016 27
 ImagineNation
Your FeedBaCK & opInIonS
Contact the editor, Claire Howlett,
on claire@imaginefx.com or write
to ImagineFX, Future publishing,
Quay House, the ambury,
Bath, Ba1 1ua, uK
Follow us on twitter:
www.twitter.com/imaginefx
tell us your thoughts on:
www.facebook.com/imaginefx
Clint please!
Really enjoying the magazine,
especially the issues more focused
on comic art. On that score, I was
wondering if we might have a
feature or workshop on the artist
Clint Langley? I’ve been really
loving his work on the ABC
Warriors graphic novels of late and
some of it really does leave me
scratching my head, wondering
“How on earth did he do that?” But anyway,
keep up the great work.
Cal, via email
Claire replies Cal, thanks for reminding
me of the many talents of Clint Langley.
I was lucky enough to meet Clint at San
Diego Comic-Con many moons back.
I remember watching with awe as he used a
mass of coloured pens to create a frenzied
image in a matter of minutes. I’ll drop him
a line about him appearing in the magazine
in a future issue.
Slàine images © 2000 AD
Here’s Clint Langley dynamic art in action, celebrating
2000 AD character Slàine’s 30th anniversary.
Nothing inspiring
Just to say that the highlight of the post is
usually receiving my copy of ImagineFX,
so I was quite disappointed in this month’s
issue of explosive environments
[ImagineFX, issue 139].
As a budding environment artist I was
awaiting great things in this issue, and sadly
throughout the entire magazine I have
found nothing inspirational or
motivational. This is quite rare to happen,
in fact I don’t remember a time when I was
28 November 2016
Clint Langley combines
traditional and digital
art with photography to
great effect, as Cal points
out in his letter.
MISSed our
ISSue on
envIronMent
paIntIng?
Turn to page 46
to see how you
can get hold of it
and others, too!
Your art news that’s
grabbed our attention
Even showing work from some of the best environment
artists around wasn’t enough to float Angela’s boat.
completely uninspired. I don’t feel there was Alexander
anything that grabbed my eye. This issue Johanson
just feels like it’s lacking something that’s
usually there, no question.
@AJohanson89
Angela Hosking, via email
“Finished the image
Claire replies Oh dear, I’m so sorry to hear – great exercise to practise
this. In the issue you speak of, I personally colour and style.”
loved the epic environments feature, and I
adored the work of Maxwell Boas and Oscar
Gregeborn. I’m also a big fan of Coro, who
gave us a traditional art workshop.
I hope this edition fares better for you.
Every issue we deliver different themes to
get your creative juices flowing, so if you say
that you’re a budding environment artist,
you may not initially think that there’s
anything in this manga issue for you, but
hopefully you’ll see beyond the art and take
advice from the teachings.
Brexit woes Kirsty Rollinson
I’ve just received my copy of the October
issue. I like ImagineFX a lot, but I won’t be @KJRillustration
renewing my subscription. I receive my
income from the UK in pounds sterling. “My latest, painted
Since the result of the Brexit referendum, the using Manga Studio.”
value of the pound has been sinking
steadily. So the value of my income here in
France has been reduced.
Meanwhile, I see that a one-year
subscription costs 99 euros, which is
approximately £86. Whereas, I see that in
the UK a one-year subscription costs £59.
Currently £59 is approximately 68 euros.
Brexit should be making things from the UK
cheaper, not more expensive. johnny garcia
Ronald, via email
@johnnysgarciac
Claire replies Ronald, I hear the same thing
“So, another year
about income from my dad who lives in
Spain. I’m not sure about the cost of things
subscribed. Will always
from the UK being cheaper since Brexit – if be thankful to the IFX
anything, our costs are rising! Furthermore, team and featured artists
the cost of a UK subscription is lower than for their guidance.”
that of an overseas one due to the cost of
shipping. I’ve passed you on to our Just finished something you want us to shout
about? Send it our way on Twitter
subscription team to see if they can help (@imaginefx), or find us on Facebook!
with a slightly better offer for you.
 Subscribe and save!

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30 November 2016
 Worldwide subscription offers

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November 2016 31
 ImagineNation Artist Q&A

Struggling with a painting technique or get your

topic? email help@imaginefx.com today! resources
See page 6 now!

Sara forlenza
Italy-based Sara is a freelance
artist who works mostly on
book covers, digital cards
and role-playing games. She
also creates illustrations for
a range of apps.
www.saraforlenza.deviantart.com

lorena lammer
Lorena is a freelance artist
living in Germany who works
mainly for card games, and
pen and paper publishers. She
spends a lot of her time
entertaining her two cats.
www.lululana.com
mélanie Delon
Fantasy art is a speciality of
Mélanie, a French freelance
illustrator. She works for a
range of publishers, and sets
aside time for developing her
own personal works.
www.melaniedelon.com
David paget
David works in the game and
film industries as a freelance
concept artist. He’s also a
lecturer, teaching concept art
and digital painting at
Teesside University, England.
www.davidpaget.co.uk
nick harris
Nick’s a UK-based illustrator
who’s been working in
children’s publishing since
1982. He switched to digital
after 18 years of working in
traditional media.
www.nickillus.com
need our advice?
Email help@imaginefx.com
with your art questions and
we’ll provide all the answers!
Question
How can I show a small group of people
in different states of emotional distress?
Barry Carter, US
Answer
Sara replies
painting a person’s emotional Although the overall for sadness may include sloped shoulders
emotional state is
state is a difficult skill to sadness, I’ve painted that are closed in on themselves, a curved
master, and you’ll need to three rather different back and lowered head. Similarly, the
facial expressions.
invest a lot of time studying facial features tend to go downwards:
people’s faces, their postures and the sides of the mouth and the corners of
mannerisms, to be able to produce a the eyebrows can all droop, for example.
credible painting on this theme. once you work out how to represent the
i would also suggest keeping a mirror emotion of sadness, you can add drama
close to your painting workstation, so that by using light, shadow and the general
you can watch yourself acting out different atmosphere to emphasise it.
emotions. Better still, you can touch your
face to feel your facial muscles as they
became contracted if you’re acting out
anger, fear or despair, or became relaxed if
you act out joy or a relaxed state of mind.
if we take as an example the emotional Artist’s secret
state of sadness, there are various levels Focus on the eyes the
that can be represented, ranging from I pay particular attention to
melancholy to despair. and for every expression of the eyes, because the I
so
emotional state, a person’s body language viewer will be attracted to those.
and facial expression changes, too. er to pain t redd ened scler a
rememb m,
around the
Sadness is an emotion that can manifest and any little wrinkles
itself through crying. other body language to enhance the sad countenan ce.

32 November 2016

Step-by-step:
portraying different
upset emotions
I want to paint a desperately sad
1 figure, who is resting his head in his
hand. Face muscles contract during a
period of crying, so I paint a furrowed
brow, eyes that are squeezed tight and a
wrinkled nose. I also give him grinding
teeth, to suggest the sense of anger often
present in the moment of despair.
Here the character has cried a lot, so I
2 give her red eyes and nose. Towards
the edges of the eyes I add a few touches
of light to suggest skin that’s still damp
with tears. The facial features are less
pronounced compared to the previous
step. I paint running makeup with black
brushstrokes on an Overlay layer.
This character’s emotional reaction
3 has evolved into a kind of concern. So
her face will seem apparently neutral. Only
the eyebrows are stretched horizontally
with hints of a frown, and the eyes will be
wide open. If we want we can play with the
reflections in the iris, where white
brushstrokes suggest unshed tears.
Your questions answered...
Question
I’m keen to realistically depict repeated elements
in a scene. What’s a good technique to use?
Kate Kudrow, Italy
All skulls are based off four different ones.
Answer To introduce more variety I add some round
shapes in the distance and in between the skulls.
Lorena replies
Sometimes, when working on a
painting in photoshop we need to
have several copies of the same
object in a scene. yet painting each
and every one would take up a lot of time.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to achieve this
in a couple of minutes.
the best way to go about this is to draw the
item you want to repeat on a new layer. if you
have a direct light source affecting it don’t worry
about that until later. For now, just paint the
item with ambient and reflected light. then
select the move tool (V), hold alt and drag. this
These are my four basic skulls, each of them sitting on a
way the item will be duplicated on to a new different layer. I can now make copies and transform them
layer. repeat this process as often as you need to fit the image, before adjusting the lighting on them.
to. you can also flatten a couple of layers at
some point and use the same trick to repeat the
object even faster. while doing this, be mindful
of the layer order and use the transform tool to
change the sizes and direction of your item.
when you’re done with the repeating process,
Artist’s secret
lock the transparent pixels of the layer your use shortcuts always going to
objects are on (on your layer panel click the Photoshop’s default shortcuts are
your own for
square icon that comes directly after lock) save you time. even better, make this, go to
mos t. For
and paint in the direct light. if you want more the tools or actions you use
them up. Doing
variety in the way the items look, you can now edit>Keyboard shortcuts and set er – once
fast
paint in details that will make them look so will make your workflow much
different from one another. you get used to them, of course!
November 2016 33
 ImagineNation Artist Q&A
Question
Do you have any tips for painting a still life practice piece?
Geneviève Harquin, France

Answer When I practise, I choose

Sara replies to portray materials such as
glass, to bridge the technical
i’d always recommend setting gaps in my knowledge.
some time aside for a still life
painting session. you’ll learn
realistic rendering techniques,
meaning you can paint credible details
and create a more intricate illustration. it’s
also useful to keep your eye trained to
capture colours, shades, proportions and
to learn how to paint inanimate object like
fruit, cloth, and glass and metal objects.
For this article i put together a
composition using the glassware, a jug, a
wine glass and an ornamental glass. i
place them on a white table cloth, close to
To get the most from your still life
a source of natural light (in this case a session, ensure your light source hits
window), so that the way the light prominent objects in the composition.
interacts with the glass is obvious. Before
starting the painting i take a photo:
sunlight changes its position and colour
during different times of the day, so it’s

Artist’s secret
better to keep a reference image because
the work can take a long time.
Since my purpose is to portray a still life
PaIntIng PerFect gla ss
composition, i don’t worry about the vital to
glass is transparent, but it’s
transparent
remember that what we see on
background. i simply sketch some lines to
outline perspective and table top, bearing d by the glass forms.
surfaces will be distorte
in mind that its colour will affect the lights t with too mu ch det ail –
so don’t pain s.
e area
it’s enough to define only som
and shadows of the scene.

Step-by-step: Sketching and adding details

I proceed as I would do
1 when painting traditionally.
I start with a quick sketch of
the jug and the two glasses
with a small, hard-edged brush,
bearing in mind proportions
and perspective. Drawing
diagonals on the canvas helps
me keep the composition’s key
elements in focus. Once I’m
happy with my sketch I lay
down basic colours using the
Lasso and Fill tools.
This is a delicate phase
2 because choosing colours
similar to those that our eye
perceives can really make a
difference in the success of my
painting. Of course, working
digitally means I can easily
correct my colours, unlike with
traditional techniques. With a
large hard-edged brush I
sketch lights and shadows,
noting that with a cold light
I have warm shadows tones.

I add details. First I define I paint the glass and the

3 the cloth with a smaller,
softer-edged brush. I paint
darker shadows where the
fabric overlaps. Before moving
on to glass objects, I paint the
light reflected on the fabric
folds, picking up the colour
with the Eyedropper tool from
the well-lit areas of the wine
glass (which in this case is a
bright and saturated red) and
the water jug.
4 jug on a new layer, using
the Eraser tool to create the
transparent effect. As well as
being transparent, glass is also
reflective so I create another
layer and I paint the reflections
of the drapery on the wine
glass. I use a brush with a soft
edge to avoid overcooking
them. Finally, I detail the
objects and paint the blue lines
that run across the cloth.

34 November 2016

Though the light won’t
travel very far, you can use
an unnatural light source to
put the focus on a specific
part of your image.
Question
Help me illustrate an underwater light source
Jim Curtis, England
Answer
Lorena replies
light behaves differently
underwater than it does above it,
which affects not only the lighting
of a scene but also the colours. the
first thing you have to keep in mind is that
because water is much denser than air, light
doesn’t travel as far and thus doesn’t illuminate
the environment as it would out in the open.
as for the colour, everything receives a blue
or green-ish tint and the deeper the scene is set
in the watery environment, the more intense
and darker this becomes. that’s why deep in
Your questions answered...
the ocean you won’t see a lot of red, if at all.
Keep this in mind when painting!
decide on what kind of light source you
want to paint, and experiment with layer and
Brush modes to create different effects. Soft
light and color dodge can help you achieve
interesting glowing effects. red light is very
rare in underwater environments, but it can
attract the eye, so try it if this suits the scene.
if you want to keep things straightforward, a
teal or blue light source will enable you to light
up your focal point more easily.
Step-by-step:
highlight your
deep-sea focal point
I start off with a rough sketch and
1 some colours, to see what direction
I want to take the illustration in. At this
point I have four layers: the background,
the sketch, the flat colours for the mermaid
and the light. Separate layers make it
easier to make adjustments. Later on you
can flatten the layers as you see fit.
Keep the mood of your picture in
2 mind. To make the most of your light
source, keep everything around it rather
dark. Tweak this effect by making use of
Layer Adjustments (Image>Adjustments)
to darken or desaturate different parts of
the image or by using Layer modes, such
as Multiply, and a Soft brush.
I kept the direct light on a separate
3 layer until now. Once I’m happy with
the colours in the scene, I flatten
everything down and start detailing the
face and the parts that are illuminated by
the sphere. I also put more work into the
light source itself and add the rays of light
on a Soft Light layer on top.
November 2016 35
 ImagineNation Artist Q&A
Using photography can
radically speed up your
design process and
heighten the sense of
realism in your designs.

When incorporating
textures, you should
match the perspective
and angles within your
image. So try to make
sure you position
textures wisely.

Question
How can I use my cool photo textures?
Simon Keown, Scotland

Answer
David replies
Using photography and textures
can help to create a good sense
of realism within your paintings
too. Here I’ve created an alien world
environment. I start off with a quick
greyscale composition painting, to work

and speed up your design
process. There can be a slight danger
though, in that the final image will just
look like a collage of randomly collected
images, rather than an original design. So,
if you’re planning on using photography
within your work, bear in mind that it’s not
a substitute for understanding the
fundamentals of art and design.
I think the best application for using
photography is to strike a balance between
textures and incorporating digital painting
Artist’s secret
out the overall design. Once I’m happy with
my design, I begin to bring photos into the
image to help quickly define the rough, ExpErimEnt with layEr
rock texture of the ground and canyons. BlEnding modEs toshop’s
The photos had to be adjusted to match Using Blending modes in pho
world of
the colour and mood of my scene. I layer panel can unleash a whole can
g mo des
regularly use editing tools available in experimentation. Blendin
g textures
Photoshop, such as Brightness, Saturation, also be invaluable when blendin urites
l favo
Color Balance and Levels to adjust textures. into your images. my persona
ht,
This enables me to have complete control are overlay, hard light, soft lig
over the textures, so I can easily integrate darken, lig hten and mu ltiply.
them into my design.

Question
Are there are any tools available in
Photoshop to help me with perspective?
Simone Adams, US

With this image, I wanted to show how
quickly you could place in textures using
Perspective Tools v2. It’s a useful
extension to have, so give it a try.
Answer
David replies
I’m a firm believer that you
shouldn’t purely rely on
software to do the work for you.
A good artist should be able to
understand and construct the basic
principles of drawing, including
perspective. However, there are some useful
tools and plug-ins available for Photoshop
that can help speed up the process.
Among some of the more useful tools
I’ve found, the Perspective Tools v2 for
Photoshop CC-CC2015 purchasable
extension has proven to be valuable. It
helps to easily create perspective and
parallel grids in seconds. Mainly using the
Pen Tool, the user can draw a couple of
lines, click the Grids button and the
extension works out perspective grids
instantly. Perspective Tools v2 also offers a
variety of additional features, including the
ability to bend and warp textures perfectly
to any perspective grids you may need.
If you’re looking for a powerful yet easy-
to-use perspective tool in Photoshop then
look no further. You can get hold of the
extension at http://ifxm.ag/persptools.

36 November 2016
 Your questions answered...
Question
Have you got any advice for breaking my artist’s block?
Lucy Camperdown, Belgium

Answer
Nick replies
Painter 2016’s brush controls
offer a hefty array of choices.
A blank canvas can be just as
intimidating. Either or both
can become a barrier to even starting.
Let’s tackle both at the same time.
Let’s start by tinkering with the
Spring Particle settings available to
Watercolour>Runny Wash Flat. This
brush emulates the sort of unpredictable
behaviour of real watercolour.
To begin, you’ll need certain brush
control panels open. Go to
Window>Brush Control Panels and
make sure Spring Particles is open,
which should also have Particles-
Common on the same palette. To really This odd combination of
expand the possibilities, it pays to have characters would never have
existed, without making a few
the Paper palette and Library open, so marks on digital paper in
check that, too. More pronounced Painter 2016 and seeing
where they led me.
textures offer more interesting results
– try bumping up Scale and Contrast.
Now just pick some colours, make
random marks and wait. As soon as you
touch the canvas, Painter creates a layer,
appropriate to the brush. You should
notice, on the Spring Particle palette,
that there are three options, of which
Artist’s secret
try oUt nEw
one will be highlighted. Try the others,
before tweaking any other controls. One
art softwarE
we all have our favourites,
may already work for you. When you do
but it never hurts to try
tweak, explore one setting at a time.
out alternatives, when you
Once you have some nice marks, save as Set up a grained paper to interact with the
Runny Wash Flat brush, and dab with the
can . otherwise you might
a flat image to draw/paint over. It’s like
Wetting Agent to get interesting results. miss a new favourite.
spotting shapes in clouds. Just go with it.

Step-by-step: Warping your textures in Photoshop

1  
To illustrate my point on warping 
textures using Perspective Tools v2, 
I’ve created an example for you to see. I 
2  
Using Photoshop’s Pen Tool (press P 
for the shortcut), I need to create four 
Path Points on my image. I begin in the top 
3  
When I’m satisfied with the placement 
of my Path Points, I can press the 
Warp button available in the Perspective 
have a series of cubes that I want to turn  left corner, go to the upper right corner,  Tools v2 window extension. This snaps the 
into metal crates. I also have a flat, metallic  down to the bottom right, and then to the  texture into the correct position. And 
texture I want to use, but the perspective  lower left. Bear in mind that the order you  because the texture was a Smart Object, 
doesn’t currently match my image. place the points matters. the layer remains editable.

November 2016 37
 Need our help?
If you have a question for
our experts, email us at
help@imaginefx.com
Question
Can you give me some help with painting expressive hands?
Rebecca Holgate, Canada

Answer To paint a hand, think of

it as a box and cylinders
Mélanie replies when you do the line art
sketch. It’s more easy to
Hands are probably the most visualise and add light
difficult anatomy element to to these kinds of
geometric shapes.
paint, even more so when they
have to convey an emotion.
And if they’re not well executed they can
ruin a painting. Hands can express
everything from sadness to joy, but
whatever the emotion I’m aiming for,
I always start with sketches to find out The more you add
exactly what I want to express. I don’t care if volume to the hand, the
more it’ll look real and
the anatomy isn’t correct – I just try to focus so the emotion will be
on the emotion and/or story that I want to easy to convey.
tell with my character.
Once I have a clear idea of the
composition, the next thing I do is to gather
references, to help get the hands right.
When I have to paint some complex-
Artist’s secret
looking hands I usually use myself as a try oUt my skin BrUsh
skin . it’s a
model. This helps to avoid any anatomy i use this brush for creating
ure. the
mistake and also it’s a great way to find very soft one with a lot of text
skin needs to have a lot of colo ur
the perfect hand position. Posing in front ds. i avoid
of a mirror will help you to capture the variations, especially on the han
ing my
emotion that you’re after. a plastic skin appearance by keep
h look ing .
Your chosen lighting scheme can also brushstrokes slightly roug
help to increase the emotion of a scene. A
soft light will go very well with delicate
hands, while a strong light with contrasted
shadows will be perfect for stressed-looking
hands. You can also play with anatomy
details such as veins if you want to achieve
an even more intense emotion.
I sometimes use a specific colour scheme
to enhance the feeling of an image. If the
character is sad then I’ll pick pale, gentle
colours. But if my character’s meant to be
happy then the colour scheme will be more
saturated, with intense colours on show.

Step-by-step: Paint hands that tell a story

1  
I lay down quick line art to start 
depicting the hand. For this article  
I want my character’s hand to look very 
2  
Now I start to further define the hand, 
slowly developing the shape of the 
fingers and the palm. The hand must look 
3  
I add more details, and work on the 
skin texture with the same Soft brush. 
I soften the light because I don’t want it to 
soft, almost floating in the air. I choose a  delicate and so the fingers need to be   become too strong and ruin the emotion I 
pastel-based colour scheme: a pale blue  long with no hard lines. To save time   want to convey. I’ll also leave the hand’s 
mixed with a tender  I don’t try to create  outline blurred to 
beige for the hand.   perfectly detailed  achieve an even 
I use a Soft brush   hands. The key  more tender feeling 
to create the base,  anatomy signposts  to the whole 
ensuring that there’s  such as nails or  element. Clean 
some colour  wrinkles can be  outlines suit hands 
variation, ready for  suggested by simple  that are conveying a 
the skin texture. touches of light. tense attitude.

next month: MAngA hAIR PAInTIng AdvIce | show a figure in anguish | TURn A cReATURe
InTo A FAnTASy beAST | procreate plein air tips | FolIAge In ARTRAge | and more!

November 2016 39

Artist Portfolio
ROSS TRAN
The American tells Gary Evans how he
emerged from a “dark place” to become
an in-demand artist and YouTube
sensation, all before graduating college
oss Tran steps out of his
Californian apartment.
The sun shines in the sky
above and a car idles on
the road below. Holding
a couple of large canvases, he climbs over a
balcony, shimmies down a tree and speaks
to camera: “Welcome to another episode of
Ross Draws. It’s my graduation episode!”
He runs to the waiting car. Animated
sparks fly. He throws his artwork through
the open window, jumps into the driver’s
seat and speeds away. The hand-written
personalised number plate taped to the
back of his Chevy reads: COLOR DODGE.
In just 20 seconds, we see why the
23-year-old artist’s videos have earned
nearly two million views on his YouTube
channel: the quick cuts, the playful tone,
profilE
ross Tran
locaTion: US
favouriTE arTisTs: My early artistic
influences are more fine art and painterly:
Craig Mullins, Leyendecker, Claire Wending,
Jaime Jones, Sargent and Sergio Toppi.
sofTwarE usEd: Photoshop
wEb: www.rossdraws.com
40 November 2016
the breathless, almost hyperactive
presenting style; whistle-stop tours of his
art school, apartment and various locations
around California; interviews with the
smiley, unbelievably healthy-looking
friends and teachers who populate those
places... And, of course, the thing that
underpins the channel’s success, Ross’s art
– bright, stylised, painterly, with tutorials
explaining how he produces it. What you’d
never know by watching these videos is that
the channel “came from a dark place.”
peRSONAliTy iS Key
Ross is a recent graduate of Pasadena’s
ArtCenter College of Design. He won his
first concept artist job at the nearby West
Studio when he was just 17. A couple of
years later, he worked as lead character
designer on his first feature film – creating
Echo for the 2014 animated movie Earth to
Echo. He now counts among his clients
Disney, Samsung and Microsoft, and has
since worked on the upcoming Halo
Franchise and several more films.
How did he win so many big jobs at such
a young age? “You have to personalise your
portfolio so it represents what you really
want to do,” he says. “For instance, if you
love character design and want to get hired
ASTRO MiNT
“A piece from my Astro
Series. It’s a collection of
portraits involving some
kind of white garment and
shapes as the influence.”
for it, make your portfolio and online BeAch
presence character-based. I’ve seen a lot “This was one of the few
pieces I did in my year off
of people put too many types of work art to pursue acting. I just
in their portfolio. It makes them look loved to paint and felt
the need to express
disposable. The last thing you want to be myself artistically.”
is a robot. Show the world who you are
and what you want to do.”
He says some people may be familiar
with his earlier work, but most of this
success has come through Ross Draws,
the YouTube channel that he started at the
end of 2011.
“I actually grew up really shy,” he says, KATARA
an image very different from the boisterous “This was a memorable
piece because it was
character he presents in his videos. “I had intensely challenging
a lot of insecurities growing up. I think trying to paint water and
waves. I had to really try
Ross Draws represents a side of myself that to capture the physics, yet
depicts transformation and self-growth. keep it stylised.”
 The last thing you want to be is
a robot. Show the world who you
are and what you want to do
November 2016 41
NidAlee
“This was from the third episode
on my YouTube channel, drawing
Nidalee from League. She’s one
of my favourite characters and
I had to draw her!”
I consider myself an introvert, but one
who’s learning extroverted skills.”
Even after earning a place at the
prestigious ArtCenter College of Design,
Ross says he felt something was missing in
his life. He was passionate about art, but
also loved making people laugh. So he took
a year off and pursued an acting career.
Ross juggled art school and auditions.
He took extra classes in improv and scene
study. The nearest he got to a big break was
an audition for a pilot on the Fox network.
The small part called for a designer who
freaks out a lot. “My perfect role!” Ross
ROSS ANd MilO
“I always got tons of requests to draw my dog and found
a perfect opportunity – to celebrate one year on YouTube.”
42 November 2016
says. The producers of hit shows Psych
and Scrubs were in the audition room and
he made them laugh. They gave the part –
which the script labelled “Asian Best
Friend” – to a white person.
“I’m not sure the pilot even got picked
up,” he says. “But it was a great experience.
I also auditioned for a lot of commercials.”
BRANchiNg OuT ON yOuTuBe
A friend suggested he start a YouTube
channel combining the two things: art
and making people laugh. “I hesitated,
thinking it wasn’t really my thing. Prior
to the channel, I felt like I had no purpose.
I was waking up and feeling really
unmotivated to do anything. Uninspired, SpecTRe of the YouTube channel brought new
unwilling, defeated. “My work has recently problems. “My schedule is different every
taken a more stylised,
“Acting helped me to commit. Because, graphic approach, while week, every day,” he says. “Sometimes I feel
in acting, you have to commit 110 per cent still pertaining to my I overload myself. I’m definitely what they
painterly roots.”
or else no one will believe you, not even call a night owl. I go to sleep anywhere
you. You can’t be in your head. Going on from 2 to 5am. As my channel grows, so do
those auditions and to classes helped me my opportunities – conventions, signings,
to commit to the moment and just do it, no gigs – and it’s been harder to have a set
thinking. It’s a practice I’ve also taken schedule. It’s still currently a learning curve.
into my art. If you have an idea, don’t be But most of my week consists of editing my
afraid to voice it.” videos and painting.”
When Ross reinvented himself as Growing up, Ross was into TV shows like
Ross Draws, it shook up his personal life Pokemon, Sailor Moon and Power Rangers
and kickstarted his career. But the success – you can see those influences in his art
and on his channel. He has a few key rules
Acting helped me learn to when making videos. Our attention span is
getting shorter and shorter, he says, so he
commit to the moment and keeps footage under the six-minute mark.
It’s also important to be yourself, connect
just do it, no thinking with your audience and collaborate
 Artist Portfolio
ROSS TRAN
JOuRNey
“I really wanted to express
a sense of movement and
vision with this one.”

ThE kEy sTEp

in a JournEy
Like few other artists, Ross can pinpoint the
exact moment he found his own artistic voice
“Journey is definitely one of my favourite and most
memorable personal pieces,” he says. “I’d been in school for
about a year and was learning a lot, but hadn’t really applied
it. I didn’t know who I was as an artist. In class, I felt I was
creating a lot of cool stuff, which showed my artistic
influences, but there was little of me in there.”
Ross wanted to “bring something to life.” He says Journey
proves hard work really does pay off. All the best elements
of Ross’s work came together: it’s colourful and stylised but
painterly; the composition is strong and the characters are
suggestive of a much larger narrative than we’re seeing.
After completing Journey, Ross started understanding
the kind of workflow that suited him. “I began to really love
painting,” he says. “I started to absorb information faster.
This piece hung in my school’s gallery and was a staple of
my portfolio. It was definitely a breakthrough moment.”
pOweRpuff giRlS
“I grew up watching The
PowerPuff Girls and
KORRA wanted to do my take on it.
I was bringing my love of
“This piece is quite
special to me. People graphics in the piece.”
often mention that
this was one of the
first episodes/pieces
they saw when they
discovered me.”

Red
“This was another one that sat in my
folder for about two years. I never knew
how to finish it, but one day I opened it
up and let the story breathe.”

November 2016 43
 masTEr of
color dodGE
Ross on the Photoshop tool that his fans
know has become his signature technique
“I really didn’t even know it was going to be a thing of
mine. It’s part of my process in almost every painting,
so my first YouTube video included that step.
“I got so excited in the video that everyone started to
say it! Color Dodge makes my painting colourful, vibrant
and full of light. You can see here: it can add a lot of story
and bring your piece to life.”
The blending mode adds a depth and glow to colours.
Ross used to feel such techniques were cheating. Now he
realises artists must embrace the tools that help them
best tell a story. “It doesn’t matter. You can learn from
anything, any method, anywhere. Have an open mind.
I wish someone had told me that when I was starting out.”

with other people. He’s made videos
with artists he looks up to, like Dan LuVisi
and Anthony Jones, but also collaborations
with non-artists, such as Jimmy Wong and
Yoshi Sudarso, who plays the Blue Ranger
on the new Power Rangers show.
The YouTube channel brought Ross new
confidence, which was mirrored in his art.
When he started at ArtCenter College of
Design, he knew he was a capable painter
but felt his work was too heavily influenced
by his favourite artists. Then he painted a
piece called Journey (see page 43)– a
landmark in which he found his own voice
and techniques.
Ross works with Premiere and After
Effects for his videos, Photoshop and
Lightroom for painting. Using all Adobe
software helps him easily switch between
apps. One website recently labelled him
the “Master of Color Dodge.” The blend
mode creates extra depth and makes
colours really pop off the screen, an almost
glowing effect that’s present in much of
Ross’s work.
iT’S NOT cheATiNg
Ross hadn’t always used such techniques.
“At a young age, I thought that using certain
methods as cheating, only to realise now
that it doesn’t matter. You can learn from
anything, any method, anywhere. Have an
open mind and you can absorb
information easier and faster.”
SpiRiTed AwAy After graduating college, Ross left the
“I’m a big fan of Miyazaki apartment that features in many of his
and cherish any chance I
can to celebrate the YouTube videos. He now rents a house with
impact he’s had to me.” friends, a place just outside Los Angeles.
“We call it The Grind House,” he says. The
Grind House? “It’s where we’re going to
grind on our stuff for a year and decide
what to do from there. There’s not much
of an art scene in my area, but I love the
motivational energy that the house has.”
“Motivational energy” is a perfect term.
It’s in everything Ross says and does. You
can still see his influences in his work.
There’s a bit of Jaime Jones in there, some
Craig Mullins and Claire Wending. But
despite his youth, he has found a style,
voice and motivational energy of his own –
and, perhaps most importantly, a platform

I thought using certain methods on which to share it. That’s the one piece of
advice he’s keen to get across: do it your
was cheating. But you can learn from own way, on your own terms.
“My videos are funded by my amazing
anything, any method, anywhere supporters on Patreon. I’m blessed to have

44 November 2016
 Artist Portfolio
ROSS TRAN
ASTRO fiRe
“This has been sitting in
my WIP folder for about
three years. A lot of my
pieces sit there until I can
see the piece turn into
something unique to me.”

fans who love what I do and who want

the exclusive content that comes with each
episode. Patreon is definitely a career
option for artists.” Ross’s endorsement of
Patreon comes with a caveat, however: only
launch when you’re ready. “I held off on
making my page until I knew I had quality
content for the people who supported me.
“If you do what you love, numbers and
finance shouldn’t matter,” Ross adds. “I
have friends who absolutely love their
studio jobs and want to be surrounded by
people. I also had friends who quit those
jobs, made a Patreon and earned less, but
loved what they do.
“I think it’s about finding your
own instrument and how to operate at your
fullest potential. In today’s industry – and ReApeR
“This piece was
society – we too often compare ourselves to commissioned for the
deviantART+Blizzard
JiNx
others, which fuels our inner self-critic. “There’s always a
Campaign ‘21 Days whimsical element
We’re all on our own journey at our own of Overwatch’. It’s to my work, either
probably my best seller in the colours or
pace. We all have different inspirations, a at my first convention, the composition.”
different drive that propels us forward.” Anime Expo.”

November 2016 45
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Issue 139 Issue 138 Issue 137 Issue 136

October 2016
We cover epic environments this
issue, and bring you the cream of
artists who are busy creating new
worlds for video games and films.
Elsewhere, creature artist Brynn
Metheney shows us around her
studio and we take in the vehicle
designs of Scott Robertson.
September 2016
Our fantasy art special kicks
off with Viktoria Gavrilenko’s
vivacious Shakespearean cover
and workshop. Elsewhere there’s
portrait tips, an art of DOOM
exclusive, Scott Gustafson
interviewed, Hellboy, Chris Dunn,
Atomhawk and much more.
August 2016
Comics have never been more
popular, and this issue we give
you the skills to break into the
industry. We also chart Conan’s
appearance in the comics, talk to
illustrator Iain McCaig about his
love of storytelling, and help you
combine 2D and 3D techniques.
July 2016
With the help of Magic: The
Gathering and Fantasy Flight
Games artists, we give you the
skills you need to paint stunning
card art, and reveal art from the
latest Magic deck, Shadows over
Innistrad. Plus, Rodney Matthews
shares his brilliant sketches.

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of imaginefx at: www.bit.ly/ifxbackissues
46 November 2016
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*Resource files are available from issue 85 onwards.

November 2016 47
Locations: Vancouver,
Canada (new studio opened
in Melbourne, Australia) The Sequence team has a long-running
projects: Halo: The Fall of relationship with Halo, having delivered
Reach, Marvel: Contest of many narrative expansions over the years.
Champions, Bound
Web: http://ifxm.ag/seqgroup

studio profile

The Sequence Group

From Marvel characters to Microsoft games, this Canadian studio firmly
believes in stretching its artists’ horizons, as tom May discovers
ased in Vancouver, The Sequence “Cel shaded, painterly, photoreal… we have have to be able to paint characters,

b Group has been creating

concept and production art
and illustration for games, films
and other media since 2003. Working with
the likes of Marvel and Halo, the company
has won a string of awards and recently
opened a second studio, in Melbourne.
However, still not everyone realises it’s
a full-service studio, says founder Ian Kirby.
“People often think we only
worked on smaller aspects of
projects ,” he says. “But we
almost always handle
everything top to bottom,
from concept art to storyboards to full CG.”
And that means The Sequence Group
team needs to be super-flexible. “Typically,
our artists are very fluid with
jumping between styles when
necessary,” explains art
director Andrew West, who
joined the company in 2006.
such a variety of different gigs coming
through our doors.”
As such, the company’s employees –
however talented – can never stand still,
says artist Tyler Bradley, who works mainly
on design and painted
Ian Kirby and Andrew
production art. “I’ve certainly
West created the first broadened my skills in terms
motion comic in 2001
– Sequence has since
of digital painting since I’ve
worked on many more. been here,” he reveals. “You
creatures, environments and props well,
and often in a short amount of time.
“We use a number of different styles,
which I love.” Tyler continues. “It’s
predominantly stylised realism, but it can
also be a more cartoon animated style,
often portrayed with cinematic lighting.”
ranGe of STyleS
His colleague Brett MacDonald, a 2D
generalist specialising in concept design
and illustration, tells a similar
story. “On any given day, I’ll
typically be working on matte
painting, visual development,
or motion comic artwork,” he
explains. Indeed, as ImagineFX went to
press, he was working on character-reveal
trailers for Marvel: Contest of Champions,
a free-to-play mobile fighting game from
Kabam. “Thanks to the excellent artists
I get to work alongside, I’ve picked up

48 November 2016
 studio profile

The Sequence Group

Despite being a
relatively small outfit,
Sequence has forged
relationships with DiMitri
companies like Disney,
Marvel and Microsoft.
sirenko
The senior artist on working
on multiple projects at TSG
How did you come to get a staff
job at Sequence?
Sequence was my first industry
experience. I was a fresh graduate
of Emily Carr University of Art and
Design in Vancouver, and had been
participating in weekly challenges on
the now-defunct ConceptArt.org to
improve my portfolio. Then one of
the artists who I’d been chatting to
online contacted me about an artist
opportunity at Sequence.

What were you first asked to do

once you joined the company?
Initially something entirely new to
me: painted backgrounds that were
layered specifically for animation
and parallax purposes. Many of
these backgrounds also included
characters that I had to paint and

We handle separate in layers for animators.

everything from
And how have your art skills
developed since?
Sequence has given me a big jump-
concept art, to start into my art career – my skills
have improved tenfold. I also had the
storyboards, pleasure of working with a great
team led by the incredible art

to full CG direction of Andrew West. His

artistic skills and keen eye really
helped me to improve my own
abilities. Sequence also taught me
The Librarian cinematic about project management
from Halo 4 showcases deadlines, review processes and
Sequence’s painterly production flow for actual projects.
style while building on
the Halo lore.
Your proudest moment?
Working on multiple Halo projects.
Each one challenged my artistic
ability and that made me work that
much harder to hit the quality bar.

How’s the working environment?

At Sequence, things get done at
Sequence’s HQ is in the the highest quality in a fast-paced
heart of Vancouver. The environment. I enjoyed that because
team also recently
it taught me how to work at speed
launched its Australia
operation in Melbourne. without reducing the fidelity of the
artwork. Most importantly, the
work environment at Sequence is
fun and doesn’t have any trace of
condescending corporate structure.

Do you work mainly on your own

or collaboratively?
As with most studios there’s a chain
of dependencies from one team
to the next. Sequence has a very
strong chain composed of reliable
links. The company offers a great
balance between having your own
workload and at the same time
being able to help out, get help,
or collaborate with other artists
and animators. I recently had the
chance to work on multiple projects
at once, which was really refreshing
– it ensures that the art team’s
creative juices don’t get stagnated
by working on one thing only.

Dimitri Sirenko is a concept

artist and designer who’s
worked on Sequence projects
for the likes of Microsoft
and Warner Brothers.
www.thesequencegroup.com

November 2016 49
studio profile
Sequence partnered
with film director
Dominique Carrara
to produce four
cinematics for the
action-adventure
game Remember Me.
tons of new tricks and techniques,”
Brett enthuses. “I’d be a lot less confident
using light and colour in my artwork
without the experience that I’ve had
working at Sequence.”
It’s not just about technique, though.
Keeping big clients happy also means
developing a key understanding of their
brands, says Ian. Take Halo, with which
The Sequence Group has a long-standing
relationship (it’s just finished Halo: The
Fall of Reach, an animated series created
in partnership with Microsoft game
developer 343 Industries). “With Halo,
there’s a lot of lore that we have to play well
Want to work at Sequence? Talent, passion and a
good chat over a cup of coffee may get you there.
50 November 2016
within, ensuring we’re doing it justice,” he
explains. “This involves a lot of studying
the Halo bible, making sure the Spartan’s
armour is exactly how is should be, for
example, and reading in between the lines
where we need to.
“It’s an incredible experience imagining
past events within the Halo universe,” Ian
adds. “You get to reveal something that
hasn’t been seen before. It’s bringing the
imagination to life.”
MoTion coMicS
While The Sequence Group produces
everything from concept art to animation
to live-action VFX and beyond, one creative
discipline holds a special place in its heart:
motion comics. Recent work in this area
includes 40 motion comic-style cutscenes
for the free role-playing game Marvel
Heroes from Gazillion Entertainment.
It’s also been animating key entries of the
Batman: Black and White comics for DC
Comics and Warner Premiere.
Getting a motion comic right is all
about honouring the source material, says
Andrew. “We maintain what we call the
‘comicness’ by matching the art style to the
original material,” he says. Although that’s
Collaboration is at the
core of all Sequence’s
output. Everyone
gets their say.
There’s a great atmosphere
and people do get along and
hang out outside of work
not as easy as it might sound. “We’ve
adapted some older comics with nothing
more than scanned comics from the 80s
or 90s, for instance. And we’ve been tasked
with extending frames outside of the
Alongside working on
new IPs, Sequence’s
normal comic boxes into a more modern
artists love getting to 16:9 aspect ratio.”
tackle art of the
characters that they
But if the work is challenging, the
grew up sketching. environment is welcoming, says Tyler.
“People work hard here, but it’s also
relaxed. There’s a great atmosphere and
people really do get along and hang out
outside of work. Inside work, it’s always
a bit of a collaboration among the other
artists, animators and director. It’s nice
to have talented people to review and
critique your work.”
Brett agrees. “When I walk into Sequence
in the morning I look forward to what I’ll
be doing that day,” he says. “The studio has
a real feeling of family and camaraderie. It’s
loose, sometimes a little wild, but it’s one of
the best places I’ve ever worked.”
Fancy joining them? “We’re constantly
on the hunt for new talent,” says Andrew.
 studio profile

The Sequence Group

Sequence has contributed a great deal of

artwork to Marvel: Contest of Champions’
cinematics, and continues to do so.

The team constantly

explores new projects,
from motion graphics to
UI design, and much more.

Sequence works
Sequence illustrated and hard to instil each
animated over 20 minutes and every frame
of painterly cutscenes for it delivers with
Sacred 3, each filled with detail. character and detail.

“We look for a variety of artists, but it’s great

to find those who can jump between styles.
It’s a real valuable asset, to be open to
stepping outside the box.” So it’s not so
much about specific skillsets, but about
having passion for your art and creativity.
“While the visual and technical
challenges of something like an NHL ice
projection holds very unique problems
versus a painterly Halo animation, it all
comes down to the same thing,” says Ian.
“Ultimately, it’s about making someone feel
Alongside work on Halo’s
something when they watch what we collector’s editions, Sequence also
create,” he concludes. “It sounds like a concepted and delivered the
entirety of Halo: Fall of Reach.
cliché, but it’s true.”

November 2016 51
 profile
Bobby rebholz
location: US

lz
Bobby Rebholz earned

bh o
a BS in Design from the

R e
University of Cincinnati

by
– where he later returned

Bob
to teach design drawing
classes. He currently teaches creature
design for film and games, and visual
art classes. As well as a passion for
teaching, as Bobby’s career has
evolved his other main area of focus

illos on
has become concept design for

id to armad games and films. Finding new ways

sh hybr with creatures

to connect these two themes has been

crab an d fi a joy, he says, and something he hopes

From an e,el,someone’s a little obsessed

to continue in the future.
www.bobbyrebholz.blogspot.com

a mission
the Juggernaut
“Sketching brutes has always been a joy
for me. With this sketch, I made sure to
keep the mask insect-like and unique as
the Juggernaut stands over the fallen
and collects their souls for
dungeon torture.”

Keatu
“Like the Gorateka
bird (overleaf), the
Keatu is a combination of
different birds – but also
a spider. It’s a bit more
intimidating and vicious, so
I thought adding the fear
of spiders into the mix
would really help
its cause!”

52 November 2016
 Sketchbook Bobby Rebholz

“I enjoy designing
characters based
on real animals,
and armadillos
offer a very cool
opportunity”

the
BahmBar
“This was a particularly
fun creature to sketch
because even though it’s
a new take on the modern
Beepo
“Beepo gathers his gear and sets off on a
giraffe, there’s so much dangerous adventure to find his long lost
room to explore with the brother. I’ve always had fun designing characters
design because of based on real animals, and armadillos offer
the height and a very cool opportunity for it.”
long neck.”

November 2016 53
 trapped
in a WeB
“This was a sketch done for
the Daily Spitpaint group on
Facebook, with this title as the
theme. Again, the fear of spiders
is brought into full view in a
terrifying and helpless
scenario. Will he grab
his sword in time?”

pairamede
“In my quest to study wildlife, I took my sketches to
the depths of the ocean. Many frightening things are
swimming around in the oceans, and I wanted to come
up with something that had the combination of an
eel, a sea crab and an arapaima.”

gorateKa
“The Gorateka is a
take on the modern-
day eagle and several
other exotic birds. The
combination was done in
part to study bird anatomy
and to offer a cool new
bird creation that could
be believable in
today’s world.”

“This was done

to study bird
anatomy, but also
to offer a cool new
creation, believable
in today’s world”

54 November 2016
 Sketchbook Bobby Rebholz
oWl mage
“This was also a sketch for the Daily Spitpaint
Facebook group. The theme was Biomorphic Night
Owl Mage and I thought it would be really fun to sketch
a warrior owl. Owls already have such an
iconic look to them.”

archenemy
“This sketch was another for the Daily
Spitpaint group. The theme was Archenemy and
I immediately thought of a beast versus man
scenario. These two have been enemies for
a long time and finally fight.”

para Zerna
“This creature has an insect influence. It lives
in the marshlands and hunts insects and small
rodents. While designing it, I kept in mind the
need for long, slender legs to manoeuvre
through high foliage.”

Want to share your sketches? Email us with a selection of your artwork, to sketchbook@imaginefx.com
NEXT MONTH’S SKETCHBOOK: ArTEM SOlOp

November 2016 55
 The number one
destination for digital art
news, views and how-tos.

Graphic design Web design 3D Digital art

www.creativebloq.com
 get your
resources
See page 6 now!

Workshops assets
are available…
Download each workshop’s WIPs, final image and
brushes by turning to page 6. And if you see the video
workshop badge, you can watch the artist in action, too.

Advice from the world’s best artists

58

This issue:
58 Paint a manga
figure on the go
Ilya Kuvshinov develops
a character illustration idea
while he’s painting it.
64 Perspective in
Clip Studio Paint
Learn to draw environments
accurately with Tan Hui Tian.
66 Illustrate
retro poster art
Netflix’s Stranger Things gets
a poster by Kyle Lambert.
70 Expand on the
cyberpunk genre
70 76 80 Valentina Remenar illustrates
a cyberpunk character who’s
both familiar and original.
76 Collaborate on
promo art
Learn how two artists
worked together on a Dota
2 marketing commission.
80 Characterful
creature art
Noukah’s tips for adding
more story and personality.
86 Create manga
with a twist
Yee-haw! It’s Genzoman’s
Wild West manga mashup!

November 2016 57
 Workshops

Photoshop
pAint A mAngA
figure on the go
ilya Kuvshinov sets aside his normal painting process and instead
learns to develop a character illustration idea as it’s being painted

hen I start an illustration I go, upgrading it with every step, always close to ImagineFX’s style and something

ilya Kuvshinov
W usually have a finished image
in mind. So when I start
painting, I just do all the steps
thinking about what I want to show,
and how to improve it?
I don’t do it like this very often, but
you’d really like to see on the cover
and read about the creation of it inside.
I always think about what kind of
LocAtion: Japan I need to do to ensure my art looks as that’s what will make this workshop more character I want before I start to draw
The Russian close to the image in my head as possible. interesting. Right now, you can see the it. For example, what’s his or her past,
illustrator and Isn’t that kind of boring? Yes, you could final image on the cover of this cool favourite food and current mood? What’s
comic artist say that. But here’s the good news: that’s magazine, and see all the steps here. So the situation in which the illustration
draws girls
for a living
not the only way to work on an everything might look kind of logical. takes place and how is it going to develop
and dreams of owning illustration (although it is the fastest But when I was doing it, I had no idea in the next few seconds? For now, let’s see
his own animation way). How about I try to develop my where it was heading. All I wanted was how the character develops by herself on
studio. He’s the happiest
person ever, he says.
cover illustration for ImagineFX on the to do something really cool, something the pages of this workshop!
http://ifxm.ag/kuily

get your
resources
See page 6 now!

Archive your
art’s progress
It’s always helpful to
revisit your previous
steps from time to time,
to see what’s changed
and how. I use a program
A girl and her headphones There’s more to media than music…
1 2
called Screensnap
(www.screensnap.org),
My brief is to paint a manga-style woman with one hand The next idea that comes to mind is the nature of modern
which saves a full-size
snapshot of a WIP to the on view, maybe wearing some cool hi-tech headphones. It’s the media. She’s not necessarily listening to music: it could be films
folder of your choice. I’m headphones that give me my first idea. Music is a key part of our or VR video games, because’s everything wireless. So these two
sure there are other free
lives, and everybody listens to it in one form or another. So the sketches are much closer to something sci-fi than the first two,
options available online.
first roughs feature a girl who simply enjoys listening to music. including fantasy costumes and futuristic shapes.

58 November 2016
In depth Manga figure

November 2016 59
 Workshops

4 Getting to know her

Time for my character to relax
3 For the next two sketches, I return to the first idea of showing the headphones, but in a
more relaxing scene: a girl lying on a sofa, with pillows, CDs and a smile on her face. I like
the sketches equally, so it’ll be interesting to see which one of them I’ll be working on.
ImagineFX choose the girl with futuristic headphones, so
I start to think more about her. What kind of music is she
listening to right now? What’s her name, where does she work,
what’s happening at that moment in the scene? I don’t need to
finalise everything at this point, but it’s good to make a start.

Lines and shading

5 My rough lines start here. I have an ImagineFX cover
template layer on top of the others, so I can easily check the
composition. And for cases like this one, I use guides to get all
the shapes and vectors exactly right. The face is the centre of
focus, so the hand and body help guide the viewer towards this.
One of the most fun parts of this illustration is doing the
shadows. I really want to use accent lighting – and that’s where
the idea comes to me: it’s a photo session. Perhaps the girl is
some kind of celebrity? If so, do her clothes need to look
fashionable, or is she doing the shoot in her work outfit?

60 November 2016
 In depth Manga figure

A b

get blending
Blending modes are fun!
There are some modes
that I use all the time for
painting and finishing
(such as Color Dodge,
Color Burn, Saturation
and Hard Light). But
sometimes I experiment
with modes that I don’t
know so well. It helps to
understand how they
work, and sometimes
you can create some
unexpected effects.

correct colo
ur
and tone
ctrl+u (pc)
cmd+u (mac
)
c D Use this for fas
and tone corre
t colour
ction
on your layer.

resources

photoshop
custom brushes:
brush eLLipticAL

This is the main brush

I use everywhere – in
sketches, painting,
detailing… everywhere!

sKetchy
Colour and costume
6 Next up is colours. I merge the lines and shadows layer and set the Blending Mode to Color Burn. This keeps the shadows in
place and so I just need to carefully add normal colours. One picture here is with a Color Burn layer (A), the other is just a colours A more painterly-looking
layer without shading (B). As I’m adding more details I start to thinking about her costume. I’ve got it! I think she’s a DJ, playing brush with texture and
more variety. I use it
electronic music. So I want her costume to feel digital and futuristic, but not too robotic or crazy (C). You can see my first rough of
mainly for hair.
the costume here, but I later ditch this look because it’s resembles a mech power suit. (D).

November 2016 61
 Workshops

Rejigging the position of the hand

7 I have to change the girl’s hand gesture because of the cover’s composition. So I propose
two new versions: one with the girl resting a hand on her chest, one where she’s holding a DJ
tool known as a player, higher up. We decide to go with the higher one, so I repaint the hand.

Adding details to the composition
8 Next I start detailing the picture on a normal Blending mode layer – just painting over
the girl’s face, hair and headphones, with the aim of adding more depth, colours and texture.
I also refine most of the edges and introduce more make-up to her face. We decide it will be an
unusually colourful cover image. This is where the art starts to look more like a finished cover.
Important upgrades
9
I try to check my illustrations for consistency at every
step of the painting and in doing so I realise I’ve added a hand
but forgotten to add its shadow. I also decide to bring in a cast
shadow on the right to tonally align the composition, and paint
in more details on her outfit.

62 November 2016
 In depth Manga figure

merge layers
above
cmd+Alt+sh
ift+n & e (mac
ctrl+Alt+shift )
+n & e (pc)
This is handy

10 More refinements, including adjusting the character’s jawline for adding

a filter and ed
iting
Because I’ve added tones and colours, the figure now doesn’t resemble the original sketch. In particular, the girl doesn’t look as it with a mask
.
feminine as she did earlier on, so I reduce the size of her jaw slightly. I also add glow on the shadows and other costume details.

Apply Lens Blur and Color Dodge

11 It’s nearly finished. I merge the painting into one layer and
apply a Lens Blur filter. Then I add a Layer Mask to it and erase
the parts that I want to stay sharp, such as the focal points, face
and hand. To give the cover a more glossy and shiny feel I use a
new Color Dodge layer for the hair, face and costume.
12 Finishing up the artwork
After painting in a few more small details (such as a little shiny cross on her chest), it’s
time to add my finishing touches. I add a texture layer (on a new Blending Mode, with
Opacity at three per cent), make use of the Curves tool and Selective Color Adjustments
layers, and apply the Grain filter. And we’re done. So everything about this cover was decided
on the go – and it was fun! The problem is, I still don’t know what the girl’s name is…

November 2016 63
 Workshops
Clip Studio Paint
PersPective in
cliP studio Paint
tan Hui tian shows you how to use the perspective tools in Clip Studio
Paint, enabling you to accurately draw environments in perspective
tan Hui tian
location: Singapore
Tan is a senior
illustrator at
Collateral
Damage
Studios. Her
academic background
is graphic design, and
so her illustrations
demonstrate a strong
sense of design.
http://ifxm.ag/th-tian
The cross denotes the
vanishing point.
64
s children, most of us would
a draw houses as symbolic 2D
shapes. In reality, however,
it’s rare to see an object exactly
head-on, and artists have been
representing visual perspective in
different ways even before the
mathematics and science of perspective
was properly established. One of the
common methods today is by using linear
perspective (one-point, two-point, and so
The blue line is the
horizon line/eye level.
November 2016
on), although curvilinear perspective
imitates how our eyes perceive reality
more accurately. Rather simply, the rule of
linear perspective follows Euclidean
geometry, where the distance and
apparent height of the object are inversely
proportional: Apparent Height equals
Actual Height divided by Distance
With the advent of computers and
digital drawing software comes the
convenience of not having to chart out
Setting up the
1 perspective ruler
In order to create a perspective guide,
click Layer>Ruler–Frame>Create
Perspective Ruler. In the pop-up window
that appears, you choose your options,
and in this instance I’ve selected one-
point perspective because this will make
it easier to see how the lines correspond to
each other clearly.
Add extra guides and
vanishing points by right-
clicking and adding.
The diamonds toggle
whether your drawing
will snap to the guide.
perspective guides manually. Having said
this, I’d recommend doing it the
cumbersome, traditional way at least a
few times before moving on to using the
perspective tools within Clip Studio
Paint, if only to appreciate the
mathematics behind linear perspective.
This tutorial assumes basic knowledge
of linear perspective, but if you don’t have
this, I’ll try to bring you up to speed while
showing you how to use the software.
Adjusting the
2 perspective guides
You can tilt the horizon by moving the
green button on the lower left quadrant
(outlined in red). The button at the
vanishing point moves the vanishing
point, and the green button closest to it
moves the vertical guide. Dragging the
circle along the magenta lines moves only
those guides.
Click here to toggle
grid visibility
 Quick technique Perspective tools

Drawing on the Take care not to

3 perspective guides draw on the same
Here’s three-point perspective in action. layer as the guides.
Once you’ve settled on a perspective, you
can lock the layer and draw on a new
layer above it. To snap the drawing lines
to the vanishing points and other guides,
click the snap-to-guide button above.

Toggle snapping to different guides

(including grids) here. You can snap to
certain guides to
ensure you have
greater control over
your shapes.
Ellipses in perspective
4 A lesser-known function in Clip
The shape tools
are under Figure,
Studio Paint is that you can snap the denoted by either
shape tools to the perspective guides as a line or ruler.
well. Simply open the settings, click
Correction, and click ‘Able to snap’. This
makes it possible for you to draw not just
ellipses but other polygonal shapes in
perspective, with just a few clicks.

Access the Sub Tool

Detail settings by
Edit aspect type here and create clicking here.
duplicates of the shape.

The Special ruler creates curve guides

– useful for fish-eye perspective.
edit a ruler’s
snap range
You can adjust which
layers snap to the rulers
by opening the Layer
palette, selecting the
layer with the rulers, and
changing ‘Set showing
area of ruler’ on the
Layer palette.

If ‘Create at
This enables you to lay editing level’ is
down consecutive guides selected, the ruler
with a set rotation. is created in the
current layer. next month
draw a figure
in perspective
Using the Symmetrical Ruler
5 Given that a lot of architecture or objects may feature symmetry, you can speed up your work process by using the symmetrical
using clip’s
ruler. Here I’ve created only one, along the existing vertical guideline, but it’s possible to create multiple symmetrical guidelines.
3d models

November 2016 65
 Workshops

Photoshop & Procreate

illustrate retro
poster artwork
kyle lambert brings composition to the fore as he
paints the official poster for Netflix’s Stranger Things

he agency Contend asked me I then exported the final sketch into

kyle lambert
t to produce an illustrated
poster for Netflix’s ratings-
topping show Stranger
location: US Things. The brief was to create a striking
Kyle is a poster
image reminiscent of classic, hand-
illustrator and painted film artwork from the 1980s.
concept artist I began by studying some of the most
illustrator
working in the
iconic poster designs from this era and
entertainment industry. then experimenting in Photoshop,
He’s worked with some looking at ways to paint in a traditional
of the world’s largest
style. I worked with Contend’s art director
brands, including Apple,
Adobe, Paramount Nate Sherman to explore composition
Studios and Vanity Fair. ideas and story elements. I did my sketch
www.kylelambert.com
work using Procreate on an iPad Pro with
an Apple Pencil. I used the standard 6B
Pencil brush in this app to do all of the
line work and shading for the poster.
Photoshop where I upscaled the artwork
to a higher resolution and used the Lasso
tool to cut up the elements into layers.
I applied the Multiply Blend mode to all
of the sketch layers and blocked the basic
colours underneath using the standard
Photoshop airbrush. I reduced the
Opacity of the sketch layer as the colour
work progressed and then merged these
layers together.
The final stage was to export these
layers back into Procreate, where I used
the Splatter and Pencil brushes to add
texture to the artwork. I reimported each
layer separately back into Photoshop and 1980s nostalgia
The poster has obvious 80s film homages,
used the airbrush to blend the colours including to E.T. and Indiana Jones.
into one cohesive image.

How i create…
a film poster-style ensemble

1  Develop the sketch
This is the preliminary outline sketch. Using 2  Tone and emphasis
During this stage I establish the total values for 3  Colour layers
Here, along with Blend modes and Transparency,
All artwork © Netflix

Blend modes and Transparency throughout, this sketch the painting. The most important things for me to think I use the colour layers to tint the artwork. I use additional
will show in the final artwork. Therefore it’s important about here are first, where the light is coming from; and layers on top of everything else, to add texture with a
to spend time adding as much detail as possible. I use second, where the overall emphasis should be when Pencil or Splatter brush. I also vary the Opacity to blend
varied line width to define what’s important. the viewer first looks at the image. elements together in a subtle way.

66 November 2016
Artist insight Stranger Things poster

November 2016 67
 Workshops
Starry skies
composition & ligHt The stars are painted
using standard
Photoshop brushes. They
are a solid white circle,
with a transparent soft-
edged airbrush circle
painted on top in blue.

Forrest 
silhouette 
I painted a full
surrounding forest
silhouette to frame the
poster art. This was
sketched on an iPad Pro
with the standard 6B
Pencil brush.

Painting  
fairy lights
The lights are a
combination of hand-
drawn string lights and
transparent Splatter
brushes at varying sizes.

Eleven’s pose
This character pose was
painted using several
reference images. The
head was from a video
still, the gown was a
combination of two
photographs and her
hand was from a
separate photo. I used
other photo references
to paint realistic-looking
lighting to tie all of the
elements together.

Poster composition 
The key feature of this poster is the composition Fence details 
of the characters. The emphasis is on Eleven The fence details were
with the other characters surrounding her in drawn as a separate image
a circle, leading the viewer down to the children and then I warped them into
on their bikes and the title treatment. place with Photoshop.

68 November 2016
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 Workshops

Photoshop
expand on the
cyberpunk genre
Valentina remenar reveals her process for concepting and illustrating
a cyberpunk-themed character who’s both familiar, yet original

esigning a genre-based original The most important part of any image decided on the composition. I’ll show you

Valentina
remenar
Location: Slovenia
Valentina
is a traditional
and digital
illustrator and
concept artist
who freelances on video
games, book covers,
posters, character
design and also personal
digital illustrations.
http://ifxm.ag/valrem
d character is fun and
rewarding, but challenging.
As artists, we strive for
originality, but this can be difficult in an
industry where everything seems to have
already been done. Your character needs
to be familiar enough that they are
relatable, but authentic enough to stand
out. Striking the perfect balance can be
tough, especially when you need to catch
the viewer’s eye with a single image.
is the composition and it’s where I spend
the most time. Trying to meet tight
deadlines is stressful, but taking my time
is where I don’t compromise, because the
composition dictates the rest of the
artistic process. Unless you’re happy
with your composition, you’ll have a
difficult time moving smoothly through
subsequent steps.
Here I’ll show you how I create an
original character illustration after I’ve
my stages on sketching, detailing, using
colour, layers and filters, creating the right
atmosphere and texturing the piece to fit
its intended genre.
Where cyberpunk is concerned, there
are specific elements that make the genre
identifiable to its fans. The high-tech/
low-life aspect of cyberpunk culture
is key, so in creating this character
illustration I have to be sure to convey
this integral piece of the subject.

get your
resources
See page 6 now!

photobashing
When working on a
matte painting, using
textures can help you
quickly create realistic
effects. There are dozens
of great resources for
textures online, both free
and for a reasonable
price. Textures are based
on photographs, so they
already look realistic.
Detailed sketch Base colours and background
This keeps you from
having to struggle with 1 After coming up with a composition and sketching the 2 I insert a rough background from purchased stock (from
painting these effects
initial concept, including the pose and anatomy, I flesh out Photobash.org, by Yuri Shwedoff). I want something I can edit
from scratch. Textures
are versatile because you details: hairstyle, clothing, weapons, accessories and facial to look post-apocalyptic, so I opt for modern architecture and
can warp, crop, change features. Details added now make the painting stage much easier smoke. I also lay down base colours, the darker colours on his
and paint over them to
and I spend a few hours getting in as much content as possible. skin and clothes on the Multiply and Overlay layers, blues and
meet your requirements.
I always begin in black and white before adding colours. oranges on the Colour layer, for a complementary contrast.

70 November 2016
In depth Cyberpunk genre

November 2016 71
 Workshops

Adding Adjustment layers

3 After setting the base colours, I usually change
them using Adjustment layers. I mostly use Color rotate View
tool
Lookup, Selective Color, Brightness/Contrast, and r (pc & Mac)
This shortcu
Vibrance to make them more vivid and contrasted. the canvas, wh
t rotates
ich makes
I also change my Layer Blending modes with these it easier to pa
int
Adjustment Layers by setting them to Hue, Lighten, certain lines
at
Normal, Darker Color, and so on. This means I can different angle
s.
selectively edit only the colours I want to edit.
I want to bring out the complementary contrast by
making the blues and oranges more vivid.

72 November 2016
 In depth Cyberpunk genre

More detailed facial sketch

4 I establish the light source as coming from the top left of
the image. Setting it helps me create light and shadows on the
character’s face and also designates where the shadows should
fall. Here I use my horizontal canvas flip custom shortcut
Enhancing the character’s face
(Ctrl+Q) so I can accurately draw the face and its proportions.
Flipping the image makes it easier to find mistakes after you’ve 5 After structurally refining the face, I detail it and smooth it out with a smaller brush.
been staring at it for too long. Up until now and throughout this Then I add smaller lines for texture to give the image a more painterly look. I also add Overlay
step I use the Soft Round Pressure Opacity brush (Brush and Soft light layers, to make his skin and hair more vivid. As a result, the skin looks more
Opacity: 100 per cent, Flow: 58 per cent). flushed and the highlights in the hair are brighter.

resources

photoshop
custoM brushes:

soft round
pressure opacity

The brush I used the

most, from sketching to
detailing the character
and the background.

pasteL – oiL Large 4

This brush was used

for a rough sketch,
for the smoke in
the background.

Sketching the outfit

6 I decide that I want his clothes to be denim. I set up the
colours for his straps and roughly sketch where the folds should
be in his clothes. I also use the light source to establish where
the shadows and highlights should be. Picking the material
for the clothes also helps me know how the fabric should be
textured, where the folds should be, and what the highlights
should look like. Denim has a particular look and feel, so in
this stage I try to sketch out the qualities particular to the
rectangLe – one
soft edge
material. After sketching the clothes, I work on a detailed sketch
of the torso. The more detailed these sketches are, the faster it is
to paint and polish them afterwards. Once again I use the light I used this brush in an
source to establish the location of the shadows and highlights Overlay layer for adding
various effects over
on his chest, stomach and arms. I also work on his anatomy and
the buildings.
sketch the muscle definition of his stomach.

November 2016 73
 Workshops

paint using
adjustments
Using Adjustment layers
to quickly set the colours
of the painting is a useful
way to save time. It’s
much easier to paint in
black and white under
the layers, and much
quicker than painting in
colour from scratch.
When painting in colour,
you need to pick colours
for shaded and
highlighted areas.
However, if you paint in
black and white and use
Adjustment Layers to set
colours, the Adjustment
Layers will accurately
establish these colours
automatically. This
allows for a quicker
process and a more
accurate painting.

Adding visual depth to the clothing

7 At this point I’m still using the same Soft Round brush with the Opacity and Flow settings as mentioned previously. When
detailing, I reduce the brush size slightly. Here I mainly work on making the denim look as authentic as possible, while maintaining
flip canvas a painterly texture to the image as a whole. I also make a new layer for the stitching and apply a Drop Shadow (in the Layer Style
(custom) dialog) to automatically create a small shadow beneath the stitch line. This makes the fabric and the stitching look more realistic.
canvas helps
Flipping the
s. Customise
find mistake
ts at
your shortcu
rd
Edit>Keyboa
Shortcuts.

Finishing the torso

Making it fashionable
8 I work mostly on the outfit’s accessories, making them the perfect blend of fantasy
and realism so the image fits the cyberpunk genre. I focus on making the clothes and
accessories eye-catching but also practical, since I’m going for a more mature and realistic
look. I work primarily on the metal of the spikes, the pouch, belt clasps and scarf. Making
the scarf look worn helps create the dystopian image of a classic cyberpunk world, while the
spikes on the jacket play up the stylistic qualities of the genre.
9 At this stage I polish up his torso, as well as the waist
straps and clasp. For a more realistic look, I made his abdominal
muscles more defined without being over-developed. I also add
texture and stitches to the straps. During this step I also add the
shadows created by his arm and scarf, and fix whatever shadows
may have been out off. This is done using an Overlay layer and
black/white/grey colours. I paint these on the Overlay layer to
try and save myself some time.

74 November 2016
 In depth Cyberpunk genre

start in black
and white
It’s much easier to paint
in black and white at the
start because it’s easier
to set the highlights and
shadows, and shade
them. This means you
don’t have to struggle
with which colours to
pick and which to use for
the shadows. When it’s
time to add colours, you
can use Adjustment
Layers, and different
layer Blending Modes
such as Overlay, Soft
Light, Multiply and Color.
You can add colours on
all of these layer
Blending modes.

10 Tackling real and replacement limbs

Now I focus my attention on the character’s remaining
natural arm. One key aspect of the detailing is adding arm hair,
because it makes the character more real and less aesthetic,
which fits into the gritty cyberpunk world he’s meant to be a part
of. Even now I’m using the same brush for all my work and
simply varying the size of it. After that, it’s finally time to flesh
out the robotic arm. I wanted to avoid something that looked
too clunky or sci-fi, instead opting for a more bare-bones,
minimalist design for a functional but worn-down mechanical
arm. Part of the job here is to create the right metal texture
combined with the worn, damaged look that fits the battle-like
mood of the illustration. To accomplish the metallic look, I need
to develop a high level of contrast, so that the highlighted area is
very bright and reflects light from the surrounding environment.

Developing the background

11 For the smoke, I used a Pastel-oil Large 4 brush and a Soft
Round Pressure Opacity brush. First I do a rough sketch with
the Pastel brush, then add softer edges and details with the Soft
Round brush. I also add Tilt-Shift blur (Filter>Blur Gallery>Tilt-
Shift) to the background, to create more depth and ensure the
character’s more in focus because the background’s no longer as
detailed and sharp. Finally, I use the Rectangle-one Soft edge
brush on an Overlay layer for various effects over the buildings.
12 Finishing touches
The illustration is pretty much done at this point. All that’s left to do is add some
filters to give the image the right finishing effects. First I duplicate the layers, then merge
them. This way I end up with one layer to which I can add effects later. I also duplicate that
layer and add Gaussian Blur to it with a radius of about seven pixels (Filter>Blur>Gaussian
Blur). I also change the layer mode to Lighten, so it creates a slight glow effect around the
image, then erase the parts where I don’t want to have this effect. I also add Smart Sharpen
(Filter>Sharpen>Smart Sharpen), noise (Filter>Noise>Add Noise) and move Green channel
(Ctrl+4) slightly to the right (click Ctrl+2 to see the RGB channel).

November 2016 75
 Workshops

Photoshop
collaborate
on promo art
Felix reveals how he and esben worked together on a
marketing commission, based on the Dota 2 universe

Felix bauer- esben lash

Schlichtegroll rasmussen
location: England location: Denmark

Felix is a Esben is an
concept artist illustrator
and illustrator currently
who works in working for
design and Riot Games.
visual development, He graduated from The
particularly for the sci-fi Animation Workshop in
and fantasy genres. Viborg, Denmark, and
He’s currently based at has previously worked
Opus Artz in London. at Sixmorevodka.
www.felixbauer.co.uk http://ifxm.ag/esblfelb

76 November 2016
 Artist insight Promo art
his picture was one of the
t illustrations behind a series
of key visuals done for
SteelSeries, a Danish
manufacturer of video game accessories.
The idea was to portray the duality of the
often fierce in-game character avatars and
the calm and collected gamers battling to
overcome the next big challenge.
All the illustrations were done with a
get your few well-known gamers in mind, and the
resources
See page 6 now!
avatars that were created were inspired
by the in-game characters which each
gamer usually plays as.
Sheever, who this picture was made
for, is not only a streamer but also a caster,
interviewer and a host when it comes
to all things Dota 2. The illustration is
inspired by Windrunner and Witch
Doctor, because Sheever felt that those
were the two characters who best
embodied her in-game.
Since both of us artists work full-time
jobs, we decided to split the work between
us, and the piece was divided into four
stages: sketches, refined sketch, colour
block-in, and final render. Esben worked
as the lead artist on the project.
November 2016 77
 Workshops

How we create… creating an avatar

HigHly detailed
art in StageS
Lighting the feathers
Felix does an amazing job matching the real-
life textures and specular highlights. When
we paint, we normally have photo reference
of the object to see how the material reacts
to light and subtle texture changes, but we
try to recreate that by painting it by hand
instead of using phototextures directly.

1  Making sketches
We produce three sketches for the client. We tend to spend
more time at the start of the project developing the sketches, because
we don’t want to rush things and then have to come back and fix any
mistakes later on. Planning the picture and spending the extra time at
the beginning saves us hours in the end. It also gives the client a clearer
idea of the direction that we’re going in.

2  Producing the final drawing
Once the composition has been chosen we proceed to the final
line drawing. In this stage we try to fix any problems in the drawing and, if
necessary, add better and more dynamic solutions. In this case this could
be twisting the scarf or feathers, for example. We can’t emphasise
enough how useful a final, approved line drawing is. At the end of the day,
if you can’t draw it, then you can’t paint it!

3  Light and colour pass
We block in the colour and make masks to preserve the clean
shapes. Then we add the lights with a layer in Color Dodge or Hard Light
layer mode. We try to be aware of only making one light the dominant
one, and keeping the other ones subtle. Key light, bounce light, diffuse
and, finally, rim lighting are all added.
Dynamic composition
We try to add as much movement as
possible to the piece to make it dynamic.
We achieve this by depicting the feathers in
mid-air and by overlapping these with a lot
of the elements of the character: her cape,
arm, torso, hair and so on. Overlaps are
important in showing depth and form.

78 November 2016
 Artist insight Promo art
Head piece
This is the focal point of
the painting. We use
orange to contrast with
the blue colour scheme
and draw the eye. The
intensity of the rim light
also boosts contrast. The
client insisted on her
fierce expression as she
readies her final arrow
to kill the final boss.

Arrowhead
This had to feel strong
and powerful, but not
detract from the face.
We add a red Outer Glow
with a bright yellow
Color Overlay. Using a
gradient from a dark
normal flint colour to
a bright magical effect
makes it feel as if it’s
being charged up.

resources
Concept
When designing the
character we thought
a Voodoo archer would
be super cool, in part pHotoSHop
because this isn’t cuStom bruSHeS:
something you often see drawing bruSH
in the world of fantasy.
We talk about what she
would wear and what
materials she would have
available to her. All the
materials and elements
on her are a result of
us putting our heads Some of Michal Ivan’s
together to think about brushes that we use
her and her backstory. (http://ifxm.ag/m-ivan).

November 2016 79
 Workshops

Artist insight
characterful
creature art
Noukah shares her tips for adding more story and personality
to creatures and characters, and making the viewers care

nimals have always been my For me, it was all about mastering your own commercial artworks. I’m

Noukah
a favourite art subject. There’s
really no limit to how much
you can learn when it comes
the techniques in the beginning, which
unfortunately led me to not prioritise
stories and original approaches. This
always on a journey, and I’m still trying
to figure things out.
My goal with this workshop is to give
lOcatION: Sweden to drawing and painting them. And slowly resulted in strong painting skills, you some useful tips and tools, so you
Noukah, who’s
besides, it’s awesome to draw cute and but barely any good ideas. Basically, can turn up your art and character designs
also known funny creatures. However, this workshop I forgot what I wanted to say with my a notch. After all, every artist wants the
as Andrea will be less about anatomy and technical art. I regret this today, as I’ve come to viewers to care about their art. Hopefully,
Femerstrand,
works full-
approaches and more about how to boost realise that mastering the skill of creating these tips can help you make progress in
time as a game artist at your art and take it to the next level. personal art can significantly boost that direction.
King, freelances, and
spends a large amount of
time creating content for
her blog while fending 1 Repeat, Repeat,
off her cats. then Repeat again
www.noukah.com
I rarely nail a sketch at the first

get your attempt, so don’t be afraid to

produce several revisions. I’m a
resources
See page 6 now!
perfectionist (for better or for
worse), so over the years I’ve
developed a habit for revisions. It’s
become a good habit, because I’m
not only improving with every
sketch I make, but I also end up
with lots of versions I can go back
to, merge together with a new one,
and create the best possible results.

2 Be creatIve
wIth yOur selfIes
Study yourself in the mirror,
or record yourself on video.
It’s beneficial to make
creatures feel more human,
which can be influenced
by our own expressions.
I like doing this, since I get
an excuse to make funny
faces without being
questioned by people who
think they know better.

3 Study Real animalS

Watch photos, online videos and
nature programmes, study your
own pets. Why not try recording
them in different situations? After
all, a frozen frame from a video is
much more authentic and natural
than a staged photo.

80 November 2016
 Artist insight Creature art

4 Be peRSonal
Your memories and life experiences
are priceless. Find your inspiration
and tell your own stories through
your characters or creatures. What
makes you smile, laugh or cry?
Consider adding your own pet
to your art, or maybe something
funny and embarrassing? I tend
to draw lots of horses, foxes and
cats, since I used to be one of those
typical girls who hung out a lot at
the stable, and the fox is a common
animal here in Sweden. And I see
our two silly cats doing stupid
things every day, so it’s hard not
to get inspired by that!

6 KNOw yOur aNatOmy, tO

5 don’t Be afRaid
to aSk “what if…?”
Take my piece with the tiger
chasing the balloon for instance.
It all started with that tiger alone,
reaching for something. I wanted to
try something different, and started
thinking that it would be hilarious to
paint something about a tiger and
a scared balloon. Totally random!
Asking “what if?” helps you explore
more ideas, for creating interesting
creatures and characters.
create BelIevaBle art
The anatomy doesn’t have to be 100 per
cent perfect. But it does still has to be
believable. Luckily, many animals share similar
anatomy, so you only need to figure out the
significant features of the specific animal
you’re drawing: proportions, posture,
significant details and so on. The bones and
limbs are attached in a similar way, so if you
learn how to draw one animal, you’ll get a
shortcut to a bunch of other ones, too.

Anatomy
doesn’t have
to be perfect,
but has to be
believable
November 2016 81
 Workshops

7 Play wIth lIght tO add stOry

Try out different variations before settling
on the final one. Think about the mood, and
ask yourself, what do you want to say with
your piece? Cute or romantic pieces work well
with a sunny, backlit magic hour light, while
dark, hard shadows may be more suitable to
indicate danger. Study colour scripts for films
to see how the studios have solved certain
situations and moods. Using actual photos
as a base for colours is also helpful if you want
to create realistic lighting.

8 pinteReSt iS gReat foR getting

inSpiRed, But can alSo Be a tRap
Don’t get too caught up in browsing other artists online for
inspiration. Sites like Pinterest or gallery sites like ArtStation
are great for boosting your own inspiration, but I would
always say to use your own stories and ideas as a base.
This is something I’m constantly working on.

82 November 2016
 Artist insight Creature art

I like art where

you can see
emotion in the
characters

9 INclude a seNse 10 uSe StRong

Of INteractION Body language
I like art where you can It all starts with definite body
see some kind of emotion language, so try to nail that before
in the characters, because diving into the details such as facial
that’s something we all can expressions. To help do that, try to
relate to. The characters or imagine how your character would
creatures can be cuddly, pose themselves if it didn’t have
comforting, angry, sad… a face. I know that sounds a bit
It doesn’t really matter, as creepy, but it makes sense, since
long as you feel something. body language tells you much
Take the painting I Love more than one might think. Play
You Bro (above) for around with different poses in
instance: some couples your rough sketches, then you’ll
have said to me that they be able to pin-point which one will
remind them of their kids, be the most suitable to tell your
or even themselves. character’s or creature’s story.

11 PaINt glOssy, realIstIc But cartOONy eyes

Here’s a little insight into my approach to painting glossy eyes in Photoshop

Block things in add the reflection paint and finish

1 Prepare a sketch if it feels more comfortable,
and then paint in all the default colours. Paint the eye, iris
and pupils on separate layers with a Hard brush, to keep
things nice and crisp. It’s helpful to do all this at the
beginning, because it speeds up your process and you
can set up a nice finish to your piece.
2 Create a new layer, then lower the Opacity and
paint in a white reflection. This is my favourite shortcut
to make eyes feel more 3D. It works for sketches and
really helps your characters look even more appealing,
even though the rest of the lines are rough. Soften the
reflection by erasing the bottom with a Soft brush.
3 Create another layer below the reflection layer
and set it to Multiply. Then, using a darker colour, paint
with a Soft brush below the eyelids to create a soft
shadow. This will make the eyes pop even more. Go
back to your colour layers, and add some colour
variations to increase the realism.

November 2016 83
 Workshops
12 enSuRe that vieweRS can
Relate to youR paintingS
With my Hobbit cats piece, people could relate to it because
it was funny and familiar. I even used my own cats as models.
Things just suddenly fell into place – my cats resembled
Bilbo and Gollum! It’s not a coincidence that I painted this
during the same time as The Hobbit was showing at the
cinemas. The timing was perfect and inspiration struck hard.
14 lINe Of actION
Try to think of your character or creature as
one simple line of action and build the pose
around that. This goes hand in hand with my
tip on body language (see number 10). Straight
lines indicate a more aggressive pose, while
softer curves exude a sense of calm.
84 November 2016
Things just suddenly fell into
place – my cats clearly resembled
Bilbo and Gollum!
13 ecONOmIc Brush strOKes
One way to make paintings or sketches look cleaner is
to lock the Transparency on some of the layers and keep
painting within brush strokes. I do this a lot to keep things
nice and clean, and the brush strokes look much more
confident. This technique can also be a lot of help when
painting hair or fur. You’ll gain more control over smaller
strains of hair, whiskers, eyebrows and so on.
15 woRk with a limited colouR palette
to keep thingS Simple and clean
Experiment and see what complementary colours work with your piece.
I like to decide on one significant colour and let that be the most saturated
one. And I pick a less-saturated complementary one to support it. The
fastest way for me is to start with a monochromatic painting and save the
bright colours to the last. Or just settle with the monochromatic scheme.
 For honor!
als
Remko Troost reve
t for
how he creates ar
e!
the epic Viking titl

Video games
Techniques and guidance from our best-ever
roll-call of professional games artists

Featuring…
Star Citizen Work at Blizzard Creating worlds And much more!
Master artist Jort van Blizzard’s art directors How to use concept The incredible art of
Welbergen reveals and artists share what sheets to build a No Man’s Sky; a chat
how he designs and you need to know and believable games with Even Mehl
builds vehicles for this do, to get your dream world, with pro games Amundsen; and how
epic space thriller. job at the company. artist Olly Lawson. to paint Sylvanas!

issue 141 on sale in the uK friday 7 Oct

© Ubisoft Entertainment. All rights reserved.

November 2016 85
 Workshops

86 November 2016
 In depth Manga with a twist

Photoshop
Create manga
with a twist
genzoman combines two distinct genres to create a dynamic manga
composition in a Wild West setting, compete with a bar-room brawl

esterns are something I’ve out the character. But there are also different atmospheres, as well as different

genzoman
w always loved. In this tutorial
I’ll create an image in the
typical manga style but set in
illustrations wher e the background can
be considered an extra character, because
it also includes additional personality or
textures in fabrics, glass or smoke.
In this image we’ll take the depth of
the stage and play with the scale of
LoCation: Chile a Wild West saloon. The main character, represents an iconic or picturesque set. the characters in the scene. The lighting
Rose, is a character in The Wanderer, a In this type of illustration you can often offers a different perspective on how
Genzoman,
alias Gonzalo comic about the Old West I’m working on explore new ways to enrich a background. close or far they are from the light sources.
Ordoñez, is at the moment, to be released next year. Here, I’ll explain the process I use to Finally, we’ll see some tips to generate
an illustrator There are certain art styles where the achieve a style of background that not background construction elements with
who’s worked
in the video game
main character is the centre of the action only contrasts with the character, but is the Lasso and Gradient tools, as well as
industry, TCGs and and the background is a secondary also dynamic and expressive, with a create elements to depict in perspective
comics for over 15 years. consideration, something to help bring multitude of characters, expressions and with the Free Transform tool.
http://ifxm.ag/gen-man

get your
resources
See page 6 now!

Inking the elements

Sketches, setting and pose
1 The Wild West has many possible locations and interesting scenarios. I make several
sketches trying to find what will be the most interesting or the most striking, some focused
on the character and others on the environment. I settle on the idea of drawing a classic
Wild West canteen area, that features several characters and some action.
2 I do this part of the process quickly because everything
will be covered by colour and much of the inking will be lost in
the following steps. I focus on closed areas, where it’s easier to
make selections with the Magic Wand than it will be later when
detailing. I use the Lasso tool to make quick selections of areas,
then fill them with the Paint Bucket tool as I’m inking away.

November 2016 87
 Workshops

Blending tones and adding shadows

Gradient and cel-shading
3 I use two tones for adding light and shade before getting into colour. I use the darker
tone as a base, and add lighting with the lighter one. I use a Radial Gradient to apply volume
to rounded parts of the image such as the face. I create light areas that later I’ll fill with paint
using the Paint Bucket tool, achieving an appearance similar to traditional cel-shading. Over
this, I’ll paint a halftone in a new layer set to 50 per cent Opacity.
4 I flatten all the colour layers into one and use the Smudge
tool with a textured brush for smooth blending, painting with
this in one direction from top to bottom and side to side. This
technique gives the image softness and volume, and adds
dynamism to elements such as fabric – I love drawing fabrics
moving. When this is done, I add shadows by selecting areas and
applying a Radial Gradient with my base colour but in Multiply
mode, applying this from outside to inside the image.

new Layer
(PC)
Ctrl+shift+n
(mac)
Cmd+shift+n
layer and
Create a new
l for you to
open a pane
, colour
set its Opacity
and mode.

allow for
more Undos
I like to use Undo, mainly
because often I’m not
entirely sure about some
brush strokes or because
I feel I could make a bad
colour decision and
would like to go back as
Colouring and balance
much as possible in time
to correct the error.
5 With volumes sorted, I turn to colouring my mono image,
Under Preferences> selecting areas that will have the same colour, using the Magic
Performance, you’ll find
options for History &
Wand tool. At this stage I add just large areas of colour – details
Cache, where you can will come later. I duplicate the character image, add a yellowish
increase the number of hue (Ctrl+U) and set the duplicate layer to Multiply mode with
Undos up to 1,000. I
low Opacity for an antique look. I merge all the character layers
prefer to use 30 undos.
and use Color Balance to better define a final colour.

88 November 2016
 In depth Manga with a twist

gaussian Blur
is your friend
When a picture looks
finished, I always like to
add Gaussian Blur, set to
a 3.0 pixel radius. Then I
use Edit>Fade to reduce
it by 20 per cent. It loses
hardness and gains some
softness and fuzziness.
This helps achieve better
integration between the
elements and adds
some depth to the
image. But thanks to
Fade, it’s not invasive
or overwhelming.

Painting over ink

6 I begin adding details to black areas, such as clothing and
hair. I create a new layer, which I place over the character layer,
and select areas of hair and other elements with the Lasso tool.
I fill these using a slightly lighter colour to show the contrast.
Once these are defined, I convert the layer to the final colour
(Ctrl+U) and repeat step four, blending to smooth for the final
result. Then I merge the layer with the character’s layer.

Highlights and details

7 I begin adding details to clothes and other items, giving
them additional volume and shine. I add secondary highlights
interacting with the character – sometimes a bit of light can
make a big difference. I add light to the hair on a separate layer,
then merge it to the character’s layer. I use Liquify to fix physical
details. On a new layer I paint her cheeks and nose in pink, then
add Gaussian Blur and lower the Opacity to give her rosy cheeks.
Adding glasses and bottles
8 I don’t draw bottles as such. I do a Rectangular Marquee and modify it with the Lasso
tool. I fill the selection with the Paint Bucket tool, add highlights using a Radial Gradient and
then Colorize (Ctrl+U). With quick selections, I create the impression of liquids inside. I use
the same process for the beer, making a selection to add foam, painting with a brush and then
applying Gaussian Blur. Lastly, I add a few drops on the glasses and bottles for detail.

November 2016 89
 Workshops

Free transfor
m
Ctrl+t (PC)
Cmd+t (mac
)
Background characters and personality
9
Use this to qu
ickly
transform ob
The setting is a bar, so I need to add some secondary characters to the background to add life, variety of design and jects,
changing pe
rspective
expression. I need characters of different ages, ethnicity and sex, each one in different dress, pose and action. A fight in the and shape.
background will help ground the bar in reality, as will chairs and tables for customers to enjoy a freshly tapped beer.

Pillars and curtains

11 To make the pillars, I do a quick selection with the
Rectangular Marquee tool, then add depth using the Gradient

10 Characters and colour background

I paint the background characters in a similar way to steps three to five. I start with a
base colour, and add highlights similar to the cel-shaded ones. I add a new layer at 50 per cent
Opacity and paint on it with a light colour to achieve a halftone. Then I apply the Smudge tool
lightly in some areas. I paint characters hoping that colour brings out their personalities, but
I need to choose more muted and monochromatic colours, so Rose can stand out a little more.
tool. I paint a few details, then bump up extra light for the look
of a deep carving in the wood. For the curtains I make another
selection, draw light areas and recolour them with Ctrl+U. I
reselect the curtain area and add gradient shadows in different
parts to create contrast between them. I merge both layers, then
duplicate this to make the other pillar and curtains on the right.

90 November 2016
 In depth Manga with a twist

PhotoshoP
CUstom BrUshes:
hard roUnd 3 PixeLs

I use this brush to draw

everything! Its strokes
are thin, so they’re easy
to hide on shadows and
it’s great for detailing.

hard roUnd 9 PixeLs

I use this brush for quick

painting and volumes. If
I want a smoothing effect
I add Transfer/Other
Dynamics as a preset.

12 Floor, staircases and chandeliers

To create a wooden floor, I draw several vertical lines in 13 Foreground characters and smoke
I add two characters in the foreground, both with heavy
tri BrUsh

a single layer, then use Free Transform to add perspective. I do
the same for the handrail as well. I use the same pillar as in step
11 to create the roof and the wall, then use Bevel and Emboss
for a small border. The chandelier is done with selections and
the chains with Bevel and Emboss for quick volume. On a new
layer I add a green tone and set the layer to Color mode.
inks because they’re far away from my light sources. I add
colours, then draw light bouncing in a new layer and duplicate it, This multi-dot brush is
adding Gaussian Blur to produce a fuzzy light. For smoke I use not for painting, but
the Lasso tool, fill the silhouettes with a Gradient and use the is my brush for
colour blending
Smudge tool to produce irregular shapes. Then I use Gaussian using the Smudge tool.
Blur to remove any hardness and make it look more ethereal.

14 Final edits to the scene

I tweak the colours a little with Color Balance (Ctrl+B)
and correct the contrast with Levels. I alter some designs from
previous phases that don’t look so good now, and clean up some
inking errors. I add some extra items such as bottles on a table
and some extra bounce light on the chandelier. I use the Blur
tool in some areas, to add a slight blur and produce a greater
sense of depth. After this I can call it a finished image.

November 2016 91
ImagineFX presents stunning manga art
and workshops across 146 packed pages!

Featuring...
Genzoman
brian sum
alvin lee
Lois van baarLe
ross tran
bobby chiu
…and more!

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 Artist’s
Choice Award
Art resources with a five-star
rating receives the ImagineFX
Artist’s Choice award!

The latest digital art resources are put

to the test by the ImagineFX team…

producT
6
on TesT s

softwaRe
94 Painter 2017
Corel’s latest version of Painter
utilises new technology for natural-
looking brushes, but does this
update result in a bloated piece of
software? We find out…
96 Astropad 2.0
This remote-control app sounds too
good to be true: run Photoshop – or
any other painting app – on your
Mac and then paint using your iPad.
tRaining
97 The Mammal That Ate
Dinosaurs: Behind The Art
James Gurney paints a series of
extinct mammals in his latest video.
Books
98 New reads
Master the Art of Speed Painting:
Digital Painting Techniques;
The Art of Finding Dory; The Art
and Making of Independence
Day: Resurgence.

Ratings explained Magnificent Great Good Poor Atrocious

November 2016 93
 Reviews

Painter’s strengths may

lie in its traditional media
tools, but the program can
still handle ‘cleaner’ art
styles such as manga, as
Hector Sevilla’s art shows.

Painter 2017
Painting innovation Corel’s latest version of Painter brings new
technology for natural-looking brushes while keeping bloat at bay
Price £314 (£159 upgrade) Company Corel Web www.painterartist.com

fter a few iterations of a The Brush Selector still divides tools Dab Stencils enable you

a
product, there’s a
tendency for the program
to become stale as features
are bolted on, but Corel’s Painter
2017 navigates around this minefield
with considerable finesse. While it
does feature some brilliant new brush
technology, there’s also been some
careful consideration into making
Painter 2017 a more streamlined and
customisable experience.
If you were new to previous versions
of Painter it was easy to become
overwhelmed by the many tools at
your disposal, and it could be a chore
to navigate through them. So it’s great
to see how 2017 has made life easier.
into categories, but each brush within
is nestled into the right-hand side and
hovering over it gives you a preview,
making it that much quicker to find
the ideal brush.
The overall layout is considerably
less cluttered now too, with the
enhanced Properties bar showing
context-relevant options and the ability
to show temporary fly-out menus or
pop-out custom options if needed.
These can also be sorted into custom
Palette drawers that are easily
minimised, resulting in far fewer
palettes obscuring your workspace.
Painter 2017’s new offerings include
Dab stencils, Glazing brushes and
to make gorgeously
textured and detailed
work, like this nebula.
Texture painting brushes, which
are great on their own, but more
impressively can all be used with each
other. Dab stencils give you control
over how paper textures affect tools,
which enables you to paint in a more
natural-looking manner. You can
choose from multiple Flow maps and
adjust their sizes to suit your needs.
Glazing brushes, meanwhile, make it
possible to tint existing paint, or to add
a translucent texture effect.

94 November 2016

The overall layout is considerably less
cluttered now… there are far fewer
palettes obscuring your workspace
There are two categories of Texture
brush: texture cover and texture source
blending. Texture cover enables you to
choose from multiple textures that are
transformable, so that you can cover
the specific area you need. You can
change the texture on the fly, which
means you can quickly vary the texture
painting, making it feel much more
analogue and unique. Texture source
blending, perhaps as the name
suggests, makes it possible to add
Software Painter 2017
Artist interview
AAron
rutten
One of Corel’s elite artists talks
surrealism and inspiring others
What’s your favourite new
feature that was introduced in
Corel Painter 2017?
I like the Dab Stencil brushes,
which are great for developing
organic, random-looking textures.
Are there any features you
can think of that you would
like to see in the next version
of Painter?
I’d like to see Mesh Warp
transformations, like those available
in Photoshop, added to Painter.
What’s the best thing about
being part of Corel’s Painter
Emulate the work of Master Elite?
Renaissance masters by
laying down translucent
Being able to inspire the next
brush strokes, with the generation of digital artists.
new Glazing brushes.
What is your favourite thing
about teaching people?
Knowing that I can provide free
digital art education to people
Now you can blend around the world.
your own textures into
your art using a range What’s the best piece of advice
of brush settings such
as pressure.
that you have ever received?
Many clients have said to me that I
should charge more for my work
and stop selling myself short.
Are there any creative apps for
Features mobile devices or tablets that
n Texture Painting
n Interactive Gradient you often use?
tool
n Gradient Express
Lately, I’ve been enjoying using
Painting the Infinite Painter app on my
n Enhanced Dab
stencils
Android phone.
n Glazing brushes
n Enhanced Dropper
Has working digitally replaced
tool traditional art for you now? If
n Palette drawers
n Artists’ layouts
not, do you think it ever will?
n Enhanced Brush No. I’ll always use traditional
selector
media because I feel that it’s
n Enhanced Property
bars beneficial to do both.
System
Requirements
What is your favourite thing to
draw and why?
PC: Windows 10, 8.1 or
7, Intel Core 2 or AMD Surrealism, because I can paint
Athlon 64 CPU, 2GB of
RAM, 1GB hard disk
realistically while putting my own
space, mouse or spin on reality.
textures that blend nicely with the tablet, 1,280x800
source image you’re painting on to. screen resolution, DVD If you weren’t an artist, what
drive, Internet Explorer
If you’re an artist who loves digital, 11 or higher would you like to be instead?
but strives for a more random and Mac: OS X 10.11, 10.10 I’d like to be a musician or an actor.
or 10.9, multi-core Intel
organic feel to your work, these new CPU with 64-bit Something artsy… well, more than
features are perfect for you, especially support, 2GB of RAM, being a painter, at least!
750MB disk space,
when you combine them. Overall, mouse or tablet,
Painter 2017 is a well-crafted and 1,280x800 screen Seattle-based Aaron is an
resolution, DVD drive, official Corel Painter Master
versatile addition to Corel’s catalogue. Safari v7 or higher Elite and has over 40,000
It’s a worthwhile update for existing YouTube subscribers.
Rating
users, or a great time to jump in if
www.aaronrutten.com
you’ve never tried Painter before.
November 2016 95
 Reviews
Astropad 2.0
LIVE AND DIRECT Run Photoshop on your Mac and paint using
your iPad with the help of this clever remote-control app
Price £23 Company Astro HQ Web www.astropad.com
here are quite a few iPad
T apps that enable you to
remote-control your
Windows or Mac OS
computer from your tablet, but
Astropad offers some clever creative
twists. By adding some artist-friendly
features, Astropad helps to turn your
iPad into the equivalent of a Wacom
Cintiq tablet, where you can draw
directly on to your screen.
Astropad relies on two pieces of
software: an iOS app (which you pay
for) and a companion Mac OS program
(which you download at no extra
charge). Get both of your devices on
the same Wi-Fi network or connect
them with a Lightning cable, then run
both apps. With clear instructions on
both screens, it’s easy for the apps to
find each other, and the contents of
your Mac screen appear on your iPad.
Now you can use Astropad on your
iPad to control your Mac’s actions.
Unlike other remote-control apps,
though, Astropad is geared towards
the control of creative Mac software.
Chiefly Photoshop, of course, but also
96 November 2016
any other painting or drawing program
you care to run. Astropad overlays
a circular button on the iPad screen.
Tap this to access one-tap shortcut
controls for your Mac software, such
as changing the brush size. This update
expands the range of software for
which dedicated shortcuts are
available, to include Autodesk
SketchBook, ArtRage and others.
The benefits are
multiplied by the
device’s larger
screen area
But it’s in the act of drawing that
Astropad shines. Even on an ordinary
home Wi-Fi network, there’s no
noticeable lag behind drawing on
the iPad screen and the brush stroke
appearing on the Mac screen. This is
no mean feat. The developers, led by
two former Apple engineers, created
their own wireless technology to
ensure screen updates were as smooth
Turn your iPad into a
Cintiq-like graphics tablet
for your Mac with the help
of Astropad, a simple app
with powerful tech inside.
Astropad 2.0
supports Apple’s
Pencil stylus, enabling
you to use Pencil to
paint in Photoshop or
SketchBook.
as possible. In this release, they claim
it’s three times faster than before.
The replicated view of your Mac on
your iPad looks nice and sharp, with
colour reproduced accurately. You’ve
Features got the option of viewing the whole
n Draw on-screen on
your iPad Mac screen, which may mean black
n Use any stylus or
your fingertip
borders appearing on your iPad
n Support for Apple because of the differing screen ratios,
Pencil pressure and
tilt sensitivity
or zooming in to view part of the Mac
n Connects to Mac display. The latter option is great for
via Wi-Fi or Lightning
USB cable
when you’re detailing.
If you own an iPad Pro, the benefits
n Free Mac app
required, but no
of Astropad are multiplied by the
drivers
n Shortcuts for
popular art software
device’s larger screen area and its
support for Apple’s pressure-sensitive
n Pinch, zoom and
pan support Pencil stylus. Now it really starts to feel
n iPad screen
like you have a Cintiq…
refreshes at up to 60
frames per second The drawback is that a 12.9-inch iPad
Pro, a Pencil stylus and Astropad
System
Requirements collectively cost £780, while a 13-inch
Apple: OS X 10.9 Wacom Cintiq HD tablet costs under
(Mavericks) or later,
any iPad running iOS £600 online and – for now, at least –
8 or later, iPad Pro delivers a better drawing experience.
required for Apple
Pencil support So while Astropad is a superbly
implemented app, its appeal rests on
Rating
whether you already own an iPad Pro
or want the extra benefits of one.

James Gurney’s natural-history painting career
comes to the fore in The Mammal That Ate
Dinosaurs, a swift overview of his process.
The Mammal That Ate
Dinosaurs: Behind The Art
TASTY MORSEL In this short but sweet video, artist James Gurney shows how
he brought a series of extinct mammals back to life for Scientific American
Publisher James Gurney Price $10 (download), $24.50 (DVD) Web www.jamesgurney.com
he titular mammal that
T ate dinosaurs in James
Gurney’s new video
is a repenomamus, a
Cretaceous-period possum-like
creature. A fossil of one such animal
was found with the remains of a
small dinosaur in its stomach and
it’s this interplay of mammals and
dinosaurs that inspired a recent
Scientific American magazine cover
story, which James was asked to
illustrate. Here he talks through the
process behind the paintings.
The creation of his natural history
illustrations is territory that James
has covered, sometimes in greater
detail, in previous videos such as How
I Paint Dinosaurs. But if this is your
first Gurney video, you can look
forward to a condensed yet detailed
breakdown of his working methods,
with plenty of ideas for you to bring
into your own process.
Key techniques include the creation
of a head maquette (with dinosaur in
Art tools Software & training
mouth), which enables James to study
the light and shadow across the forms
more accurately. And the various
thumbnails and studies he creates to
give the magazine designers plenty
of options. You’ll also see moments
when the process gets off-track and
how James corrects it, like the point
he realises he’s worked too much detail
into the background foliage.
The knowledge on display is deep,
yet presented in a down-to-earth
way that makes you wish there was
more here. The download is great
value, the DVD edition less so –
Topics covered although making physical media
n Value and colour
studies and keeping the costs down is a
n Working with
reference and briefs
challenge for any self-publisher.
n Prepping art board The 40-minute running time
for painting
n Controlling the
includes a three-minute bonus on
image’s focal point protecting illustration boards from
Length
warping. James made and added
40 minutes this clip after feedback from an early
Rating
customer, which just goes to show his
commitment to sharing his knowledge
with the art community.
November 2016
Children’s modelling
clay and artificial eyes
help James construct
a convincing skull
based on fossil
photographs.
Artist profile
James
Gurney
James specialises in painting
realistic images of scenes that can’t
be photographed, from dinosaurs
to ancient civilisations. He’s also
a plein air painter and sketcher,
believing that making studies from
observation fuels his imagination.
James taught himself to draw by
reading books about Norman
Rockwell and Howard Pyle. He
received a degree in anthropology
from the University of California,
but chose a career in
art. James has written
the instruction books
Imaginative Realism,
and Color and Light.
www.gurneyjourney.blogspot.com
97
 Reviews

Master the Art of Speed Painting:

Digital Painting Techniques
Quick study Leading concept artists demonstrate the essential
art of speed painting, with tips and insight to help you work faster
Editor Simon Morse Publisher 3DTotal Price £22 Web www.3dtotal.com Available Now

o matter how great your Then it’s on to the real meat: the

n concept art is, studios will

only employ you if you can
deliver to a deadline. And
for many, that means learning
to create high-quality work, faster.
Speed painting is a useful technique
to help you achieve this. And so this
comprehensive instructional guide
offers a ton of tips and walkthroughs
aimed at improving your speed
painting skills, for both would-be
artists and industry pros.
Following a foreword by celebrated
concept artist Noah Bradley, this
258-page book kicks off with two
step-by-step lessons in technique.
Marcin Rubinkowski explains how he
makes custom brushes for creating
painting projects, 25 in total. These
come from leading pro artists and are
categorised by time taken: 10, 30, 60
or 120 minutes, respectively. Happily
for ImagineFX readers, most of the
subjects are sci-fi or fantasy themed,
although the techniques involved are
universal and can be applied to all
kinds of art genres.
James Paick establishes a fantasy ice
world in an hour using a mix of photo
textures and painting techniques.
Packed with screenshots
and the kind of advice only Working to a 30-minute
deadline, Massimo Porcella
pro artists can offer produced this sci-fi scene.

environments quickly, showcasing
his technique by creating a futuristic
industrial scene. Then it’s the turn of
Ioan Dumitrescu, who demonstrates
how to use photobashing to create a
weapon design.
Noely Ryan explains the process
behind his monster concept for a first-
Alex Olmedo took the
person shooter, fashioned in just two
opportunity to marry hours. Alex Olmedo takes the same
his speed painting
techniques with a
time to create a futuristic cityscape
painterly feel. using photobashing, as does Wadim
Kashin for his sci-fi coastline, using
an unconventional digital painting
technique. Massimo Porcella designs
a Mars factory in 60 minutes using
textures, colour and structural shapes.
And there’s plenty more besides,
with contributions from Katy Grierson,
Sung Choi, Jesper Friis, Florian Aupetit,
Stephanie Cost, Danilo Lombardo and
Ian Jun Wei Chiew. Each project is
packed with explanatory screenshots
and the kind of workflow advice and
insider tips only a pro artist can offer.
The book is rounded off with a real
treat: a 14-page tutorial from Thomas
Scholes. This talented artist shares the
hows and whys of his digital painting
process and workflow in detail, from
how to develop your artistic muscle
memory to making repetitive use of
objects and props in your asset library.
Whether you follow each tutorial and
tip meticulously, dip in and out, or just
enjoy the imaginative concept art, this
is a great way to kick-start (or reignite)
your enthusiasm for speed painting.
RAting

98 November 2016
 Inspiration Books

The Art of Finding Dory

OcEAn viEW Pixar had to start again from scratch in visualising the
Finding Nemo sequel, as this beautifully put-together book explains
Editors Steve Pilcher, John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton Publisher Chronicle Books Price £25 Web www.chroniclebooks.com Available Now

ou’d expect an animated

y sequel would be relatively

easy to design and
produce. You just have to
copy what went before, right?
Wrong. For Finding Dory, Pixar
couldn’t just reuse the previous
character and environment designs,
explains production designer Steve
Pilcher in his introduction to this book.
For one, 13 years of technological makers didn’t just want to retread old world contrasts with the rectilinear
advances mean the original pieces no ground, but aimed to explore new shape language of the human world.
longer fit with the audience’s visual artistic and narrative possibilities. While books like this can sometimes
expectations. For another, the film- This sets the scene for a detailed skirt over such details, here you really
look into how the sequel to Finding feel Pixar is trying to share everything
Nemo was visualised, alongside a about its production process.
cornucopia of unseen art, from scrap- But even if you’re not interested in
paper sketches and early storyboards that stuff, this book is worth buying
through to digital paintings, pre-vis just for the stunning artwork by the
models, 3D sculpts and final frames. likes of Shelly Wan, Tim Evatt and Don
There’s a strong focus throughout Shank, all beautifully reproduced
© Shelly Wan

on world building and environments, across the book’s 176 pages.

Shelly Wan worked on
creating concepts for
including insights such as how the
the coral reef in the film. curvilinear shape language of the reef RAting

The Art and Making of

Independence Day: Resurgence
sPAcEd Out An opportunity for fans to go behind the scenes of the
blockbuster sci-fi sequel, but expect more ‘making of’ than art book
Author Simon Ward Publisher Titan Books Price £30 Web www.titanbooks.com Available Now

or the first quarter of this

F 176-page tome, you

might think you’ve actually
bought the wrong book.
The first 50 pages are devoted to
the first Independence Day film,
with a lot of fan-friendly detail about
characters and plot but not much
mention of the technical and artistic
process behind it.
The book finally starts to fulfil its we get rough pencil sketches, digital text. Much of the concept work
title’s promise from page 70, where paintings and cross-sections of the featured isn’t credited, and while you
new movie’s moon base. From here on, do get a few quotations from members
it’s the art book you’ve been looking of the art department such as Aaron
for, replete with film stills, behind-the- Sims, Mark Yang and Johannes Mücke,
scenes photography, and concept art we’d have liked more. In short, this
showcasing how the many visual book is probably mainly of interest to
worlds of the movie, its new alien fans of the new film – and a glance at
Concept art of a key
characters, its weapons and its the box office receipts suggests that
story element from the spacecraft were conceived. there aren’t that many of those…
film. It’s just a shame
the book doesn’t credit
When it comes to the art, though,
the artist behind it. this book is fairly light on explanatory RAting

November 2016 99
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inSPirATion And AdviCe from The world’S beST TrAdiTionAl ArTiSTS

This issue:

102 FXPosé Traditional

The best traditional art revealed.

how To PAinT 112 Plein air painting

a believable
Peter Chan shares his set-up.

wood nymph
Iris Compiet uses her instincts to create 114 First Impressions
Steve Prescott talks Aliens.
a half-human, half-tree being Page 106
November 2016 101
 FXPosé showcasing The FinesT TradiTional FanTasy arTisTs

Jana Heidersdorf
Location: Germany 1
Web: www.janaheidersdorf.com
emaiL: Janaheidersdorf@gmail.com
media: Acrylics, charcoal, pencil, digital

“My work explores

everything that lurks in the
dark, whether it be feral
creatures or shapeless
thoughts and feelings,”
says Jana. “I also consume a lot of
music, books and movies; among my
heroes being Neil Gaiman, Guillermo del
Toro, Dave McKean, Patrick Ness,
Amanda Palmer and Peter Greenaway.”
Her work can be found on and in
books, comics and magazines, on walls
and online. Clients include Titan Comics,
Egmont UK and the Bottleneck Gallery.
“If you’ve bought all editions of
Spectrum Fantastic Art, you can find my
art in two of them, which is cool. Also,
you have a lot of books,” she jokes.
Her career goal is finding somebody
to pay her to illustrate JM Barrie’s Peter
Pan in an appropriately creepy style.
“When I’m not drawing or crafting you
can find me dabbling in the dark arts of
writing, photography and animation, or
stalking the local squirrel population.”

1 tHe WitcH of tHe HiLLs

Acrylics, charcoal, digital, 31x41cm
“I created this piece during last year’s
Month Of Fear challenge for the theme
Sabbath. I see witches as secret
guardian spirits of nature; the idea of a
witch protecting her land came after
reading Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching
Discworld novels.”

2 tHe HeartLess Giant

Acrylics, charcoal, digital, 31x42cm
“This was painted for a German fairy
tale anthology with a travelling theme.
I illustrated the Norwegian tale The
Heartless Giant by combining several
story elements into one composition.”

102 November 2016 Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com

 FXPosé Traditional art
2

imagineFX criT
“Jana’s art is full
of atmosphere
and emotion,
helped by her choice of
colours. I love how the
heartless giant almost
blends in with the rest
of the buildings on
the hill. Almost… ”
Claire Howlett,
Editor

Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com November 2016 103

 FXPosé
Julie Wilmore
Location: US 1
Web: www.juliewilmore.com
emaiL: hi@juliewilmore.com
media: Charcoal, pencil, digital

Julie grew up in Michigan

hiking and camping, which
created a deep bond within
her for the natural world.
“I seek the space between
these real places I spent time in and the
fluctuating memories I have of them,”
she explains. “My work uses wildlife and
nature as the driving force of my semi-
surreal narrative.”
Her drawings are made with
powdered charcoal and carbon pencil.
“I literally paint in dry charcoal; this
offers me a high level of control over the
value, texture and edges. I then work
with the carbon pencil and a smudge
stick to add details and deep blacks.”
Julie now live in Chicago, but can
retreat back to nature through her art.

imagineFX criT
“It’s clear that
Julia feels a strong
affinity with
wildlife and nature.
I like how she’s used
the cloud in Boundless
Nocturne to draw the
viewer to the owls’ eye
– or is that a delicate
crescent moon?”
Daniel Vincent,
Art Editor

1 boundLess nocturne
Charcoal on Bristol board with digital
colours, 11x14in
“A crescent slowly moves in the sky –
with the turn of the earth – as through a
beat of wings thunders behind it. I think
most people have specific feeling about
nighttime. Either it’s a time of fear in
the dark or a place of calm stillness.”

2 respite in tHe pine Haunt

Charcoal on Bristol board with digital
colours, 14x17in
“I find that time runs differently in wild
places. There is an agelessness to the
trees and mountains, and days seem to
pass more slowly.”

3 taiLWind
Charcoal on Bristol board with digital
colours, 11x14in
“The last in a small series of personal
pieces, Tailwind is all about pushing
through difficult moments and finding
peace at the end of it. At the time I
second guessed the decision of making
a pink piece, but now I can’t see it any
other way.”

104 November 2016 Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com

 FXPosé Traditional art
2

submit your
art to fxposé
Send up to five pieces of your
work, along with their titles, an
explanation of your techniques,
a photo of yourself and contact
details. Images should be sent as
300DPI JPEG files.

email: fxpose@imaginefx.com
(maximum 1MB per image)

post: (CD or DVD):

FXPosé Traditional
ImagineFX
Quay House
The Ambury
Bath BA1 1UA, England

All artwork is submitted on the

basis of a non-exclusive
worldwide licence to publish,
both in print and electronically.

Email your submissions to fxpose@imaginefx.com November 2016 105

 Workshops
get your
resources
see page 6 now!
Pencil
Paint a believable
wood nymPh
IrIs CompIet takes inspiration from nature to explore the world of fae, using
mixed media and her instincts to create a being that’s half human and half tree
F
or this workshop I’ll be
creating a dryad, a female spirit
of nature, also known as a
nymph. I’ve been exploring the
world of fae for quite a while
now, working steadily on a collection of
creatures of the Seelie and Unseelie Court
for a personal project.
The dryad has always fascinated me.
Whenever I strolled in the forest as a
young girl I always felt watched, while the
sounds the forest made felt like breathing.
So the existence of dryads was a natural
known fact to me. They are the protectors
of the trees and would punish any mortal
who would harm one.
Over the course of this article I want to
explore this theme and find a way to
incorporate a human-like being into a
tree, in such a way that it would seem
believable. The way I see these creatures
is the same way some trees look like they
have human features, in their gnarly
branches, roots and bark.
106 November 2016
Watercolour Gouache
I want my dryad to be beautiful as well
artIst InsIght
as menacing. Something I find interesting
stretching tip
is the thin line between good and evil.
When stretching paper
This creature is all-knowing, all-seeing
I dampen it using an
and has been around since the dawn of
atomiser. I spray both
ages. Much like the ancient trees, they
sides and tape them
down with brown artist
seem to be unmoved by the world around
tape, the kind you have them. But harm them or their kind and
to wet before it sticks. they will retaliate. So I want to have an
Lay your board eerie vibe to the piece. Something in the
horizontally so it dries look of this creature will give you the idea
evenly, and don’t put that you’d better not mess with her. explore the world and explore the
it in the sun: this can To add to her otherworldly appearance creature. I work instinctively, doing what
make it dry too fast, I want to give her gnarly branches, which feels right at that moment in time. This
causing the tape to rip. act as limbs covered in moss and fungus. approach doesn’t always have the desired
For inspiration I’m looking towards effect, but gives me the opportunity to
nature and a folder filled with trees and learn new techniques or solutions that
roots in my Pinterest board. I’ll use I can bring to other pieces.
watercolour as my main medium, a Iris is an artist living in the
Col-Erase brown pencil for details and Netherlands, where she paints
texture, and some Holbein Acryla fantasy and folklore images of
gouache to highlight certain areas. the weird and wonderful,
As with most of my fae pieces I treat exploring the depths of darkness to find the
this as a sketch. It’s an opportunity to light. Learn more at www.eyeris.eu.
In depth Paint a nymph

November 2016 107

 Workshops
materIals
pencils
n Prismacolor
Turquoise 2262 HB,
Prismacolor Col-Erase
brown
paper
n Arches Hot Pressed
140lb
Brushes
n Winsor & Newton
Watercolour Sable
Round #5
n Winsor & Newton
Watercolour Sable
Round #6
1 The initial sketch 2 Sketching some more ideas
n Daler Rowney I rarely do thumbnails. Most of my pieces are However, I feel that the initial sketch misses
Graduate Rigger #1 based on one sketch – the single idea that’s popped up and something, so I try to find what it is. I sketch some more,
Watercolour paint screaming at me from my sketchbook page. In that lone doing quick facial studies for the dryad and I decide that
n Daniel Smith: Lunar sketch I have basically all the information I’m looking for. If it a mix between the first and last sketch may have the
violet, Shadow violet, speaks to me, then it’s the one for me. desired outcome: a menacing death stare.
Payne’s gray, Zoisite
Genuine, Green gold,
Green apatite genuine,
Deep sap green,
Cobalt teal blue,
Quinacridone deep
gold, Indian red,
Bloodstone genuine,
Hematite genuine
n Winsor & Newton:
Indigo
gouache paint
n Holbein Acryla
Gouache: Deep yellow
Carmine, Sky blue,
White

3 Bring together my references 4 Settling on the final lines

I’ve got folders filled with pictures of trees, bark
and fungus. A trip to Wistman’s Woods in Devon, England,
gave me plenty of reference to work with. I sometimes set
up my computer in front of me while working – that way
I can switch between references. If the computer isn’t an
option, I use my iPad or just plain-old printed photos.
I sketch my final image directly on to my stretch
paper, using the things I liked best from the different
sketches I made earlier and creating an entirely new sketch
right on the spot. I only do this when I’m working on
personal art. I use an HB pencil, but not too hard or soft,
so it doesn’t muddy up my colours too much.

practical
tip
tools and medium
Clean water is essential
to help create textures by
wetting areas and
picking up pigments
with a brush.

5 Applying the initial washes 6 Picking up colour

I dampen my paper completely using an atomiser.
I let it dry a little and with a brush I add dabs of colour to
certain areas, mainly the background. But I’m not paying
attention to bleeding colours – I want them to bleed and
create textures. I use a hairdryer on some of the areas and
add more colour to others. I’m building up a base.
With a rolled-up piece of paper towel, I pick up any
pigments that have gone where I don’t want them. I clear
up areas I want to stay light for now, adding more clean
water to these areas to pick up even more pigment as
I repeat the process. I want the face, chest and a couple
of branches twisted towards the viewer, to be lighter.

108 November 2016

In depth Paint a nymph

7 Developing textures on the canvas

At this stage I start adding textures. I’m building up
layers of textures, which help me create the feel of the bark.
I use my brush to paint swirly lines in a mixture of colours,
from browns to greens and even turquoise. These lines are
seemingly random and I try to follow the flow of the branch,
but a natural sponge is a helpful tool as well.

November 2016 109

 Workshops
artIst InsIght
the ugly stage
Remember every piece
has an ugly stage. When
you get there, take a
step back and do
something else. Refresh
your eyes by not staring
too long at what you’re
doing. By stepping
back I find that my
brain comes up with
new ways of solving a
particular problem.

8 Building up the background 9 Bringing in more texture

I alternate between working on the main character
and the background forest. Tackling the background helps
me to decide what colours to use in my step. I paint in the
trees in a wet surface, leaving the edges of these trees soft
in contrast to the edges of the dryad.
I like to work wet in wet, using the properties of
watercolour to my advantage. I lightly dampen a small area
and introduce more pigment to it. Then I wait for it to bleed
and blend, using clean water in my brush to pick up
pigments where I feel there’s too much.

11 Fungus and gnarly details

Adding details such as fungus and bumpy holes
enhance the idea of the dryad growing old. She’s becoming

10 The benefits of a Rigger brush a tree, leaving her human side behind. Using the Rigger,
I use a Rigger brush for the details in the face, blending the bark with the I define the shapes, following the lines of a fictitious ribcage
human features. The long Rigger means I have a little less control over the lines and along which fungus is growing. The reddish and purple
I like the nature of them. I build up even more texture and lines to create the bark. fungus also adds a bit of contrast to the green.

12 Adding moss to aspects of the dryad

I keep adding detail to the piece, in particular texture, which is very important.
I use several methods to create the texture in the moss. For example, there’s the wet-
in-wet method, where I just let the paint do its thing. Just before the surface is dry
I drag a dry brush across the still-wet paint surface to create the hanging moss.

110 November 2016

 In depth Paint a nymph

13 Paint in some gouache highlights

Aside from darkening some branches to push them
back, I go into the piece in some areas with gouache. This
makes certain areas pop a little more, adding little highlights
on the fungus and around the area of the face.

brush
tip
14 Pencilling in details the best brush
I darken certain areas using a Col-Erase brown pencil. The pencil on the paper gives another different Rigger brushes are great
texture to the piece, which is a little gift. Accentuating and sharpening some lines in the branches. for details. They can hold
a lot of water and
pigment making them a
very versatile brush.

artIst InsIght
atomisers
Keep an atomiser to
hand. You can use it to
dampen the paper in
areas in which you want
to work wet in wet. But
by using an atomiser
you don’t have to go

15 Fixing the background with a final wash over the paint with a
I think the background is still too light, so I add a final paintbrush, leaving that
wash of Indigo blue mixed with a lot of water to the areas layer untouched until
you add more pigment.
of the background. This pushes it back and softens the
Atomisers that spray a
trees in the background. Some branches of the dryad are
light mist are ideal.
covered as well, so they fade into the background, creating
a little more depth overall. And now I call it finished.

November 2016 111

 Workshops

Gouache

plein air painting

with gouache
In this first part of his plein air painting series, Peter Chan goes through
his compact setup that enables him to paint both indoors and outdoors

P
ainting from observation with
traditional media is one of the
best ways to study and
improve your sense of colour
and light. After 10 years of
working in the animation industry mostly
with digital tools, I decided to revisit this
passion of mine and began painting
outdoors once a week, either in the
morning or during my lunch break. This
not only reinvigorated my passion for
painting, but also helped tremendously
with my colour work professionally.
Oil paint was always my go-to
medium, but it’s not the most convenient
setup to bring to work. So after doing
some research, I decided to take up
gouache, and really fell in love with it.
The medium comes in a variety of vibrant
colours; it’s very flexible in its application
in terms of painting thick like oils as well
as wet like watercolours; and also can be
prepared and cleaned easily, making it the
perfect medium for plein-air painting.
The tools required to use gouache are
also relatively simple and compact, which
is perfect for anyone who wants to go out
for quick studies in any breaks that come
up in a busy work schedule. It’s been four
years since I took up this weekly gouache
painting routine and I still become
MaterIals excited by the beautiful natural subject
Gouache matter around me, which is a great
n Winsor & Newton counterbalance to the imaginary work
n Holbein that I do for the animation studio. It’s also
Brushes the perfect excuse to get away from
n Flat brushes 1/4, 3/8,
working on the computer.
1/2 and 3/4-inch
Peter is originally from Taiwan,
n Round brushes #3,
but now lives in Los Angeles
#6 and #10
where he works at Sony Pictures
Materials
Animation. Previously he was
n Watercolour paper,
n Canson art boards
at Pandemic Studios as a concept artist, and
n Moleskine sketchbook at DreamWorks Animation where he was a
visual developer. You can see more of his work
on his blog, www.pixelp.tumblr.com.

Working small in a sketchbook is less

intimidating, and gets the momentum going.

A fold-out table Roll up your artIst InsIght

2 Try experimenting
is a great and Hold the paint brushes in the hanG on to your with paper types
old Brushes
affordable option box by hand so the bamboo matt Keep hold of your
I like painting on many different types
for painting in colours don’t flow to protect and worn-out brushes –
of paper. It really pushed me to control
remote areas. into each other. organise them. they tend to make
gouache as a medium when I first
started using it. The thin moleskine
some beautiful brush
marks. You can do
sketchbook paper forces you to apply

1 Simple and compact setup some small brush work the paint rather thick and dry, while
Start by assembling a compact plein-air setup that enables you to start exercises at home, just Canson art board has an absorbent
painting and cleaning up easily. Mine comprises a sketchbook, my paint box, a to experiment and get a surface and enables you to layer the
small jar of water, a small spray bottle to keep the paint wet, masking tape, quick feel for the paint. Toothy watercolour paper suits a
toothpicks for prepping the paint, paper towels and my brushes in a bamboo gouache paint itself. dry brush technique, which creates
matt. I keep all this in a small bag except for the paint box, which needs to be interesting textures. You can learn all
carried. I also have a simple fold-out table instead of a pricey pochade box, types of gouache application just by
where I can rest my water and paint, and use the table top as the mixing surface. painting on different paper surfaces.

112 November 2016

 Artist insight Painting with gouache
The Flat brush creates a Use the paint box’s
blocky, hard edge look. lid as a mixing
surface.

3 Limit your brush choices

You don’t need to buy premium brushes for these
painting studies; it’s all about getting comfortable and efficient
with them. I mostly use the Flat and Round brushes at a couple of
different sizes. The Flat brush is great for blocking in big areas and
cutting into colour shapes to create sharper, cleaner edges. The
Round brush enables you to “draw” the colours, develop organic Organise colours according to
shapes, and is also good for dry brush texturing. their value. All my lighter
colours are on the right, with
The Round brush can develop a darker colours on the left.
softer, organic feel on the canvas.
4 The paint box
I carry my paints in this
compartmented box and use the lid as
my mixing surface. The advantages
with the paint box is that I don’t have
to squeeze out new paint every time;
it’s easy to control the amount of paint
I get on my brush; and it also helps to
keep the paint fresh for up to a week
if it’s kept out of the sun. It’s also easy
to clear out the compartment and
replace old paints.
I organise my colours according to
their values, which helps when picking
I use a mix of different paint
brand, such as Winsor &
Newton, Holbein and Reeves.
colours when painting. Whenever I
notice the paint is drying, I can revive
it by adding and mixing in a few drops
of water. The only downside is that
you can’t put it in the bag pack and
has to be carried level in the hand, so
that the paints don’t overflow into
neighbouring compartments. You can
search for “24 well paint box” online
and find something similar.
I use mostly Winsor & Newton and
Holbein paint brands alongside
cheaper paint brands like Reeves,
which is great in quality as well as price.

Don’t forget to clean and Always keep the paint damp.

prep your paint for each Once it dries hard it’s more
painting session. difficult to revive with water. Safety tiP
Stay cool
Remember to bring a
5 Prepping the paint hat and plenty of
It’s important to prep your paint before each session and make sure that it’s not too dry. I would
sunscreen when you head
recommend adding the appropriate amount of paint depending on the depth of the box compartments.
out to a location
Use about one-quarter of the tube to start out, and add more as you see fit. Spray the desired amount of
without a lot
water with the small spray bottle – I aim for a pancake-mix type consistency. Then mix the water and paint
evenly with a toothpick. Depending on the weather, I might also make the paint a bit more watery on a very
of shade.
hot day, or add more fresh pigments for thicker paint when painting indoors.

November 2016 113

 First Impressions
Steve Prescott
home. It’s often in disarray and
The fantasy artist overburdened with supplies and
reference books, but it gets pretty good
talks treefolk, light during the day and is suitable for
traditional art and how I work. I have a cluttered table
where I do much of my drawing and a
the Aliens film ramshackle drafting table-turned-easel
where I put the acrylics to work. Most
of the decor in the studio is stacks and
You’re a child and you shelves of books, drawings by my
see a painting or daughter, a few paintings by other
drawing that changes artists, a few by me, and an old television
everything… Where are that plays DVDs.
you, what are you
looking at and what effect did it have? How does your approach towards card
It was actually the movie Aliens that art and mobile game art differ?
changed everything for me. Before that, The one mobile game I worked on
I was probably going to be an artist (SoulSpark) was a combo of pencil
of some sort, but I hadn’t really and digital colouring to get nice bright
considered it as a career. After seeing colours for little screens to display and
Aliens, I became a full-fledged genre almost all the work was character
© Wizards of the Coast LLC

geek and it sent me careening down the vignettes. Card art I do traditionally.
road to a career in illustration. swamp dragon It enables me to get more subtle with
“A cover for a D&D manual. colour and makes it possible to immerse
Years afterwards, I decided there
Did other interests vie for your was a small section I didn’t like. the character in an environment.
attention at the time and what was So I repainted that part so that it
didn’t drive me nuts.”
your next step in art? What gripes do you have about
Art was really my only thing. Nothing the fantasy art industry?
else competed for my attention, probably Next month In contrast, what’s the last piece of I try not to gripe, because there are
because I wasn’t much good at anything X art that you finished, and how do the so many great things going on in the
else! From memory, I think I became Erik Gist two items differ? industry at the moment. We’re in the
more focused on art the further I got into The last piece I finished was a painting age of geek culture right now and never
high school. Then I got a scholarship of a treefolk. They differ mostly in media has fantasy art been more accessible,
to Cleveland College of Art and Design (this one is acrylic) and a 21-year popular and more welcome. There are
and that was that. increase in artistic eye and polished always things that could be improved
skills. But they both have a similar flair of course, such as freelance pay, the
What was your first paid commission, for character and detail. rights of the artist and copyright
and does it stand as a representation war oracle infringement. Despite the size of the
“With Magic: The Gathering
of your talent? work the tone is important. Here Can you describe the place where you industry, it can be very difficult to make
I was paid for one or two art-related War Oracle is in a sort of trance usually create your art? a living from it, but a lot of that is just
of destruction – she’s a divine
jobs while I was still in high school. tool for killing entire armies.” I have a smallish studio in the loft of my the tribulations of being self-employed.
But I consider my first truly professional
© Wizards of the Coast LLC

illustration job to be for White Wolf And why do you think the art industry
Games around 1995. My very first is still the best place to be working
illustration was a gothy vampire girl right now?
with a bandaged stump of an arm. Dark, However my brain works, and the
kinda sexy, stylised in a comic book need for me to problem solve through
sort of way. My skills are much more creativity, makes being an artist my only
honed and nuanced now, but I think option. Fantasy art, at least for the time
you can definitely tell it was my artwork, being, allows me the most access to
even though it’s been over 20 years. a lot of creative avenues to channel my
interests. And I quite enjoy the anything
goes freedom found in fantasy art.
The Aliens film Steve Prescott is a fantasy artist with a BFA

sent me careening in Illustration whose work has appeared in

Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons
down the road books, World of Warcraft TCG and much else
besides. You can see more of his art at his
to illustration website, www.rottface.com.

114 November 2016

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